


The Stranger

by somekindofwildgirl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, Auror Partners, Crime, Criminal Analyst Hermione Granger, Eventual Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, F/M, Hit Wizard Ron Weasley, Murder Mystery, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Past Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Possible Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Post-Hogwarts, Serial Killer, Slow Burn, Unlikely Task Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2018-12-13 00:07:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 53,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11748006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somekindofwildgirl/pseuds/somekindofwildgirl
Summary: When five suicides are revealed to be murders, the Minister creates a task force bringing together friends and foes. Ancient magic demands the blood of thirteen, but how much time do they truly have left?





	1. Chapter 1

Padma Patil would not survive the night. She was oblivious to this fact, the telephone pressed to her ear as she juggled her glass of pumpkin juice and a plate of fettuccine alfredo. It was obvious that she was talking to her boyfriend. Padma always wore a certain smile when they were together. The boyfriend was some half-blood loser that didn't deserve someone like her.

For the past month, the stranger had been watching her, following her, obsessing over her. He knew her schedule, her rituals, things that he was certain her twin didn't even know. Her bright brown eyes, the silkiness of her hair, the coconut scented shampoo that she used, these things haunted his every waking moment. Slowly, his longing for her turned into a need. The stranger craved for Padma to see him, after spending all this time unnoticed. Who else knew her better than him? The stranger would make her his, the last thing she would see before she departed the world of the living.

It felt like an eternity before she retired for bed. Once the bedroom light flickered on, the stranger pulled on his latex gloves. His palms were damp, making it more difficult to get the gloves on. He wished he could do without the blasted things, but he could not afford to get caught. Not now.

After his first kill, the stranger had been paranoid for weeks. Each time he had passed an officer or an auror, he swore they could see the blood on his hands. He avoided his friends, his family, and work until he had used up all his sick time. But once the third week passed, the stranger knew that he had gotten away with the murder – an ugly word for such an intimate act – the first of thirteen. He had long ago mastered the art of killing, his movements now precise and confident.

The stranger moved out of the shadows and entered the house through the basement window. He had tested it out a week ago and knew that the lock was broken. He waited until his eyes got used to the darkness and made his way up the familiar path to Padma's bedroom. Avoiding the creaky third step, the sound of the shower starting greeted his ears. The bedroom door was wide open and he smiled at her false sense of security. The stranger took off his cloak, folded it neatly, and set it on top of the dresser. He sat on her bed, pushed up his sleeves, and waited.

The water stopped, the shower curtain was pulled to the side and he waited for the bathroom door to open. His hands were now sweating, the gloves clinging to his skin, his heart pounding in his chest. There was always the possibility for things to go wrong. It was a risk that he was taking and he had to admit that the anticipation was the best part. The door swung open and Padma stepped into the room wearing only a towel. She walked towards the dresser – his cloak went unnoticed – and she turned to head back into the bathroom.

He cleared his throat and grinned when she jumped. Her face paled, her brown eyes widened with fear, and her gaze rested on his gloves. Even though he was an intruder in her home, she still put on a polite smile. All the women went into denial first, pretending that they had simply invited him over. It was pathetic.

"What are you doing here? I thought -"

The stranger stood up and slowly took a step towards her. Padma took a step back and another. He matched her steps and they continued this dance until her back hit the wall. She smelled delicious, of coconut and fear. Goosebumps erupted down her arms and oh, how he had missed her. Padma swallowed audibly, looking around her for an escape route. She started pleading with him, nattering about something that he could care less about before he punched her.

He caught her before Padma hit the floor and dragged her back into the damp bathroom.

The stranger had work to do.


	2. Chapter 2

It was just her luck that the only morning Hermione had slept in, it was the day she was meeting the Head of her Department. Looking back, staying up late and reviewing her report for the hundredth time had not been her best idea. Hermione had fallen asleep at the kitchen table before setting her alarm. Normally her roommate would wake her up in the morning when that happened, but Ginny was away at training camp for the week.

When she reached the conference room, Hermione rolled back her shoulders and tilted her chin up. She entered the room confidently and took an empty seat at the table. She had not been privy to the contents of this meeting beforehand - hence her crazy bout of reviewing yesterday - and Hermione was surprised to see that Harry, Ron, and Draco Malfoy were also there. Hendry – the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and their bosses' boss – leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He was a gruff man with a neat beard and black hair that fell to his shoulders. He was attractive and to her coworkers' disappointment, also happily married.

He raised an eyebrow at her tardiness and waved his wand. Thin folders appeared in front of them. When Hendry didn't say anything, Hermione flipped through its contents. The rustling of pages was the only thing that broke the uncomfortable silence, although the papers in front of her stole her attention. Pictures of girls in bathtubs, their lifeless eyes staring up at her were not what she was expecting when she opened the file. Hermione ignored her unease and read through the documents.

Suicides. Although it was sad to see that they had taken their lives, she didn't understand why this meeting was occurring. Harry and Malfoy were Aurors. Ron was a Hit Wizard and Hermione was a Criminal Intelligence Analyst. Each of their professions dealt with Dark Wizards and Witches and it was rare that all three jobs worked a case together at the same time.

Hermione dropped the picture she had been examining when Hendry finally addressed them.

"Four women have died in the past four months. Each believed to be suicides, though the girls took their lives in exactly the same way. There is nothing to link the girls and no sign of a struggle," he said. "The most recent victim died in the same way as the others, lacerations to her wrists that caused her to bleed out. Except, the angle of the cuts is wrong. The medical examiner says it's impossible for the victim to have created those wounds, which has turned this into a murder investigation."

"Why have you chosen us?" Malfoy asked.

Harry looked up from the file. "What are you talking about?"

"I am creating a team to investigate the past suicides and to determine whether these were also murders. It is likely that we have a serial killer on our hands and we need our top people working on this case. The Minister says that is you."

"The Magical Law Enforcement team are okay with us taking over?" Ron asked. He had worked downstairs with that team for years before his promotion and she knew that it would create interdisciplinary tension. People did not like to be kicked off a case and that was essentially what Hendry was doing.

The Head of the DMLE pushed himself off the wall. "It doesn't matter. If my instincts are right, this case will either make or break your careers. We haven't seen a serial killer since before the Second War and it took a pile of bodies before he was caught. Mr. Potter, you will take the lead."

"I am at your command."

"Do you have any questions?" he asked, looking at each of them. "Good, I have another meeting with the Minister. Go over the past cases, investigate them, and see what the previous team missed. I expect a full briefing in two days."

With that, Hendry strode out of the room. Silence followed and Hermione turned back to the folder. The previous team was quick to dismiss them as suicides. Not that she could blame them as they looked like straightforward cases. Each girl had left a suicide note and there had been no sign of foul play. But, the likelihood of four girls committing suicides, in the same way, should have raised a red flag.

"What do you want us to do, boss?" Malfoy asked, his tone mocking.

She had forgotten that the blond was there and took a moment to inspect him. His platinum hair had darkened and the stubble that ran along his jawline softened his features. Somewhere along the past eight years, Malfoy had become a man, a very handsome one at that. His biting comment had shown how little his personality had changed.

Harry ran his hand through his messy hair. "Does anyone have any suggestions? I've never had to deal with this before and he didn't really leave us with much to work with."

"We need to discard everything that Detective Robbins found and start from square one. In my department, we usually created a map on one of the walls to keep track of information. It helps us see connections more clearly," Hermione suggested.

"Trust Granger to know what to do," Malfoy said, slouching back into his chair.

"It's not like you had a better idea," Ron snapped.

Harry sighed. "Let's try to get along. We'll be working together for a long time. I like the sound of mapping everything out."

Once they had a task to do, they slipped into their professional roles. Hermione put a picture of each girl on the wall. She was tasked with finding out more about each girl: where they were working, how they passed their time, what secrets they were hiding. Ron was in charge of looking into the victim's relationships, reviewing interviews, and looking for any hint of foul play. Malfoy went to the morgue to talk to the medical examiner and to collect his notes on the four bodies. Harry was left with the worst job. He had to interview Detective Robbins and his team to understand their process and rationale for each case.

All in all, it was a productive day.

"What have we found?" Harry asked once they had all returned to the conference room.

"The four girls were all aged between twenty-one to twenty-seven. The killer does not seem to be drawn to a particular physical appearance. They were either students or professionals, each with a bright future ahead of them. Based on the information that I found, none of these girls were depressed or at a high risk for suicide. They all lived alone and there is no record of them knowing each other or crossing paths," Hermione said.

Ron stood up and pasted pictures next to each girl. "None of the victims were in relationships. I reviewed the interviews of the ex-boyfriends, family members, co-workers, peers. They were each surprised and upset that the girls committed suicide. There was the typical drama for each girl, but nothing substantial. I haven't found anyone that has known all four girls."

"Despite Granger and Weasley's findings, the evidence of the first three girls contradicts them. There was nothing to indicate that the girls were murdered. The killer didn't account for one thing in the fourth victim: she's left-handed. If she were right-handed, then there would be no proof that the girl was killed. That was why the angle of her cuts are wrong," Malfoy said. "I don't believe that the first girl in our folder is truly his first kill. It's too perfect. I think there is at least one other victim that we don't know about."

Harry stood up and looked at the board. It had been empty this morning but each of them had added their information to it. Yet, there was nothing that connected these girls other than their age group, their education level, and independence. There was something so clinical about these deaths. It created a mess but it lacked the passion that usually accompanied murders.

"There is a lot of planning that goes into these murders. The amount of time that passes between each one probably means that he watches them. There are no witnesses, no sign of forced entry, and the girls are easily subdued. Why does he kill them this way?" Harry asked, but no one knew the answer.

Malfoy's next words were chilling. "A month has gone by since the fourth victim. We don't have any suspects, motive, or potential targets. He's going to kill again and there's nothing that we can do about it."

It was a sombre thought, but each of them knew that there was truth to his words.

* * *

Scanning the restaurant, Hermione searched for her friend. The place was crowded with a line that snaked its way outside the door and down the street. Servers were rushing out of the kitchen balancing plates of steaming pasta, almost barreling into each other. When she found her friend, the brunette made her way to the table and plopped into the chair.

Anthea Davis was one of the most respected Healers at St. Mungo's. She was a couple of years older than Hermione and the two had met after she accidentally ate one of George's inventions. Her skin had turned bright blue and nothing Hermione, George, or Mrs. Weasley did reversed it. She had gone to St. Mungo's and Anthea reversed the effects within minutes. Theirs was a fast friendship; each had a keen interest in research.

"I thought you were going to stand me up," Anthea said with a knowing smile.

Hermione covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry. It's been a crazy day. I received a new assignment today and I got a little carried away with work."

The Healer rolled her eyes. "You always get carried away with work. Anything exciting?"

"I can't really say much, but I get to work on this new case with Harry and Ron. We haven't worked together since the war," she said, setting down her menu.

"The famous Golden Trio," Anthea teased. "They're both Aurors, right?"

"No, actually. Harry is the Auror. Ron's a Hit Wizard."

Their server came by dropping off glasses of water, took their order, and disappeared again.

"Becoming a Hit Wizard is almost impossible. My brother wanted to do that for ages, but their requirements are ridiculous. From your stories, I'm surprised that Harry and Ron didn't do the same thing," Anthea said.

"For ages, Ron did want to become an Auror. But after the war, he realized that he wanted to create his own path. He applied to Magical Law Enforcement to our surprise. He was brilliant at it and after three years, he was promoted to the Hit Wizard squad," Hermione explained.

Her brow furrowed. "Ron was the one you dated?"

"Yeah we dated after the war ended for a couple of years, but we were too young to be in such a serious relationship."

"Do you still love him?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, he's my best friend. He's dating Pansy Parkinson, which would surprise you if you went to school with us. She's a bit high maintenance, but they're good together."

Hermione unfolded her napkin and placed in on her lap, expecting the conversation to be over. Normally, no one brought up her past with Ron knowing that it was still an uncomfortable subject. Anthea was straight forward, blunt, and not afraid to push boundaries in order to get an answer that she wanted. It was why they were such good friends, they were both similar in that regard. Although, it was annoying when her curiosity was directed at topics Hermione would rather forget.

"You're still in love with him," Anthea said surprised.

Their food arrived, giving Hermione a moment to compose herself. She didn't understand why the Healer wanted to talk about it, but to be fair, she had never explained her past with Ron. Anthea's words cut through her, but she was right. She and Ron had a complicated history. They had tried their hand at dating after the war, but that had ended badly. It didn't matter how much Ron had done during the war, that people recognized him on the street, or that he had come into money. He still didn't feel good enough and took it out on his friends. They had fought for weeks before Hermione finally put her foot down. She still remembered their fight like it happened yesterday.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

"I can't do this anymore."

The words came tumbling out of her mouth. Their constant fights had been wearing her down. Hermione wasn't sleeping well and her performance at work had suffered. She was snapping at everyone and she couldn't live this way anymore. She was scared to look at Ron, to see his reaction. He was so unpredictable these days.

"Can't we spend just one night without fighting?" Ron asked.

"That's rich. You've been the one picking fights with everyone these days. Don't give me that look. Ginny told me about the fight you and Harry had. What is your problem? Are you really so unhappy that you have to make everyone around you miserable?"

Ron rubbed his eyes, his tell that he was frustrated. "Of course I'm unhappy. I'm stuck helping George at the shop while Harry gets to go off to Auror training. You've gotten the Ministry job that you wanted. Ginny is playing professional quidditch. Where does that leave me?"

She took a seat next to him and let the silence stretch between them. Hermione took his hand, inspecting it like it was the most interesting thing in the world. She loved the man beside her, loved him so fiercely that it physically hurt her. Ron was her best friend, her boyfriend, her rock. They always knew that they would be together and their relationship had been really good… until it wasn't.

"Ron, you know that I love you, right?"

His pained blue eyes met hers. "'Mione, don't do this."

She dropped his hand. "I don't want to. I love you, Ron, I always have but it's not enough. You've always compared yourself to your brothers, to Harry, to me. It doesn't matter that you're the funniest man that I know, the most strategic and loyal, that helped defeat Voldemort. You've never felt good enough and until that changes, we can't be together."

"I know that I have issues. I look back at some of the shit I've done and I hate myself for it. I hate that I left you and Harry in the woods. I hate that I can't help but be jealous of Harry and you. I've spent my whole life this way, how am I supposed to change that?"

"I don't know, Ron. But you need to figure it out before you push everyone away and you need to figure that out on your own," Hermione said, her heart clenching as she uttered those words. She wanted to take them back. Breaking up was the last thing she wanted. But this was something that Ron needed to do and she couldn't be selfish. Even if she was breaking her own heart in the process.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried. Hermione tried to memorize the way that he felt, the way he smelled of pine trees and summer nights, and as he kissed her, the way that he tasted. What if this was the end? No, it couldn't be. They were meant to be together and with great reluctance, Hermione pulled away and kissed the tip of his nose.

"You'll figure it out. I know you will," she said, standing up. His blues eyes were tinged with red as she walked away. The following week, he told them that he was leaving for America.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

The breakup was never meant to be forever. It was supposed to be a break so that they could both grow up a little bit on their own before settling down. Hermione had waited for him and wanted to rekindle their romance when he returned. She didn't know what happened to him over there, but Ron was different, more confident and mature. Hermione thought they were going to get back together until he broke the news that he had started dating Pansy. That had been a difficult pill to swallow – they were such an unlikely couple, total opposites – but she tried to be happy for them.

"I don't know how I feel about Ron. It's true that I thought we would get back together, but what can I do? Life moves on," Hermione said.

"There's a wizard out there for you and once you meet him, you'll completely forget Ron," Anthea said. "I didn't mean to be a downer. Did I tell you about the patient I got last week?"

Hermione happily let herself get sucked into the story and they spent the rest of the evening catching up. Before she knew it, it was past ten. They made plans together the following week before parting ways. Hermione walked home by herself from the restaurant. She knew that Harry would kill her if he found out especially with a killer on the loose, but the fresh air was refreshing.

She needed to clear her head, the conversation had brought up feelings that she had tried to forget. It wasn't just that Ron had moved on that bothered her. Harry had started dating Cho a few years ago and they recently moved in together. George and Angelina were newlyweds. Luna moved to New York City to be with her boyfriend. Even Lavender had bought a house with Anthony Goldstein.

Everyone was moving on with their lives and Hermione felt stuck. She was single, lived with her best friend, and was a workaholic. It wasn't that she necessarily wanted a boyfriend or a house, but Hermione was lonely. Her research job wasn't as fulfilling as she thought it would be. She missed the adventure from her Hogwarts days, something that she had never revealed to anyone else. Most of all, Hermione missed her two best friends but now that they had other women in their lives, they no longer needed her.

She unlocked her door, pushed it open, and turned the light on to her empty flat. It was strange how lonely and quiet the place was without Ginny. Hermione shut the door and made her way to the kitchen. Her mind refused to shake her grim mood, so she pulled out the last file she had been working on. Hermione had always found solace in her work.

Hermione had always found solace in her work.

* * *

 

The stag Patronus woke her at the kitchen table. Wiping the drool from her cheek, Hermione glanced at the clock to find that there were still a few hours left before she was due for work. Something was wrong. The last time that Harry sent a Patronus was during the war and she knew what the message contained before her friend's voice filled the room.

_Another body's been found. Ron will be there soon to come get you._

Her body jumped into action. Hermione quickly threw on clothes, brushed her teeth, gathered her work files and stuffed them into her bag. She grabbed an apple when she heard Ron arrive. Hermione met him in the living room, surprised to see him so alert this early in the morning. The redhead was wearing his Hit Wizard robes and the serious expression on his face worried her.

She took his arm in preparation for side-along apparition and asked him the question that had been on the tip of her tongue since the Patronus. "Who is it?"

"Padma Patil."


	3. Chapter 3

The crime scene was bustling with activity. It was roped off and despite the early hour, a crowd was gathering at the edge of the boundary, trying to see what was going on. A journalist was inching his way to the Ministry truck and she wanted to curse the person that tipped off the press. It was too early for the media to get involved. Hermione had learned that journalists could be a powerful tool if utilized properly. But it was still too early in the investigation to involve the press. There was still too much that they didn’t know.

The white townhouse contrasted sharply with the dark, overcast sky. It was strange to be on this side of the investigation. Ron held up the yellow tape for her and she ducked under it. They signed in, put on their protective suits, and headed towards the entryway. Once they were far enough away from the crowd, Ron filled her in.

“Parvati found her this morning. Padma hadn’t shown up at work for the past two days, missed family dinners, and no one has been able to get ahold of her,” he said. “It’s the same as the other women from what we can see so far.”

“Who’s interviewing Parvati?”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Malfoy. I told Harry that it made more sense for me to since that’s what I was doing yesterday, but he thought that Malfoy would be more objective.”

The interior surprised Hermione. Parvati had been her roommate at Hogwarts and she had been the messiest girl in the dorm. Padma was the opposite. Everything was neatly organized, not a thing out of place. Every surface was free of objects except for the occasional vase with artificial flowers. The walls were filled with pictures of Padma with her friends and family. She had grown up to be quite beautiful.

They walked into the bedroom to find it swarming with people. She didn’t know why she was surprised by the sheer amount of workers. Maybe it was because their task force was smaller. The bathroom was to the right, but she wasn’t quite ready to see her old classmate’s body.

“Finally, now can we begin?” Malfoy asked, irritated.

Harry gave her a terse smile. “I thought it would be best to wait until we were all together. Has Ron filled you in?”

“Yes, he has. What was the time of death?”

“Between twelve and three o’clock in the morning, three days ago based on my examination. Her lacerations are consistent with self-harm. The angle of the cuts is appropriate, but this was definitely a murder,” a man said, stepping out of the bathroom.

Ron saw her questioning look. “Hermione, this is Nathaniel Ward, our medical examiner. Nate, this is Hermione Granger. She’s the criminal intelligence analyst on the case,” he said.

“Pleasure,” Nate said, flashing his white teeth. “Now as I was saying, this was a murder. To put it in simple terms, she has a black eye to her left eye. It was caused right before her death. I also found drywall beneath her fingernails. It looks like the killer attempted to clean it out but there were specks that were missed.”

“And no magic was used?” she asked.

“No. No magic has been used with any of the victims to date.”

Malfoy stopped paying attention and started inspecting the room. Harry, Ron, and Nate were discussing the reasons why the killer didn’t use magic, the possibility that they were dealing with a squib. That conclusion didn’t sit right with Hermione, but there was no evidence to back up her instincts so she stayed quiet. The room had started clearing out, the workers packing up their materials. Malfoy looked comical, squatting at various parts of the wall.

“Don’t mind him. He always acts like a loon at work,” Harry said.

Ron scoffed. “How do you put up with him?”

“I never thought I’d say this, but you get used to him. I thought Robards was mad for making him my partner, but Draco’s gotten me out of some tight spots on missions. I guess that I don’t really care about the rest anymore.”

Hermione tried to see Malfoy in a more positive light. He had been professional with the exception of his irritating comments. If she squinted maybe –

“You!” Malfoy pointed to one of the workers. “What is this?”

The poor man looked frightened but walked over. She recognized him as the forensic technician. “I don’t know.”

“Malfoy! You can’t talk to people that way,” Hermione said marching over and forcing the technician behind her.

“I can when the man’s incompetent. This is the spot where Padma Patil scratched at the wall,” Malfoy said. “You heard them say that they were finished. Where are the photographs of this spot? Why wasn’t it marked? It’s because they were so eager to go home early that they missed it.”

She huffed. “Anyone could have made that mistake. You’re being too harsh.”

“I bet you twenty galleons that they didn’t perform _vestigium revelare_.”

Hermione spun around and noticed the worker wither under her gaze. There was a sheet of sweat on his forehead and she was disgusted with the sight in front of her. “You didn’t perform a _vestigium revelare_?” her voice was low and dangerous.

“We forgot, ma’am. It’s a new spell you see and by the time we remembered, it was too late to do it.”

“Your ineptitude cost us vital evidence. Do you know what the spell is used for?” she asked. “It’s to show us footprints. We might have been able to see how the killer came into this room, where he went, and how he left. If we had a particularly good footprint, we could have analyzed it for his shoe size and weight distribution.”

“Hermione, I think you’ve made your point,” Ron offered gently.

She bristled at his admonition. “No, Malfoy is right. How are we supposed to catch this killer if our team can’t even follow protocol? I have poured years of research into creating policies and procedures because of how many criminals don’t get convicted. Now during our most important case, they can’t be bothered to follow it?”

“Look, what’s done is done. All we can do is put our best foot forward now,” Harry said.

“No, Harry. You are in charge, which means that you need to be supervising to make sure that mistakes like this don’t happen. I’m going to go back to the office and try to find the connection between these girls,” Hermione said storming out of the room.

On her way out, she heard Nate make a comment to Ron.

“I thought Malfoy was intimidating, but she takes it to a whole new level.”

Ron laughed. “Trust me, I know. I dated that.” 

* * *

 

The rest of the day was shit. The rest of her team stayed on site and Hermione couldn’t swallow her pride and return. She was embarrassed with her outburst even though she knew that she was right. Harry was too easy going, trying to keep morale up. He trusted that everyone was doing his or her best instead of following up on it. And Ron’s comment kept ringing in her head. She tried not to read into it, but it was impossible. Did he really find her so difficult?

Strangely enough, Hermione trusted that Malfoy would make sure that no more mistakes occurred. He had been the one to notice the technician’s mistake and the blond’s work to date had been thorough, similar to something she would turn in. The blond had been second in their class until he joined Voldemort, but by then, school had no longer been important to any of them.

“You’ve been quiet since you got home,” Ginny said. She had just come back from a run, her freckled face flushed.

Hermione sighed. “It’s been a long day at work. I kind of want to disappear and forget the world for a little while.”

“That’s unlike you. Scoot over,” the redhead said, plopping down beside her. “What’s going on?”

“You’re going to read about it in the papers tomorrow, so I guess it won’t hurt to tell you. There’s a killer on the loose targeting girls our age. The Minister has commissioned a task force and I have been asked to join it. So have Harry, Ron, and Malfoy.”

“Wow, you guys haven’t worked together in ages,” Ginny said. “How is working with my brother? And Malfoy? I forgot that he joined the aurors.”

“Malfoy is Malfoy. He still thinks he’s better than everyone else, but he’s somewhat professional. Ron is another story altogether. It’s hard being around him so much. We’ve fallen into our little habits again and it’s confusing. But he made this awful comment when he thought I couldn’t hear him and…” Hermione trailed off, looking at the ground. “I hate how much he still affects me.”

Ginny wrapped an arm around her. “It’s going to be okay. It’s normal to feel this way, especially when you’re going to see Ron every day for the next while.”

“The worst part is that I made a scene today. Malfoy was digging into this guy for not doing his job properly. I went to defend him against Malfoy, but this guy was incompetent and I also lost my shit on the technician. But then I had a Hermione moment and I also lost it on Harry. The worker could have cost us very important information and Harry is in charge, so it’s his job to make sure that everything is running smoothly.”

“Well it sounds like those things needed to be said, however unpleasant it was. You and Harry have grown up together. He won’t hold what you said against you, rather he’s probably beating himself up right now if I know him at all,” she said. “Now you and Malfoy agreeing on something, I would pay to see that.”

Hermione laughed. “That will probably be the only time. Thanks for cheering me up. I needed that.”

“Anytime. Now I’m curious, is Malfoy still as hot as he was at school?”

The brunette’s response was throwing a cushion at Ginny. 

* * *

 

Hermione wasn’t the first one in the conference room the next day. She had hoped to run into Harry and talk to him before everyone else arrived, but he wasn’t there yet. Instead, Malfoy sat idly at the table not bothering to look up at her. With his mouth set in a firm line and with his sharp features, he looked intimidating. She took the furthest seat from him and hoped that Harry would show up soon.

“You shouldn’t apologize to him.”

Her brown eyes glanced up at the blond. “What?”

“That’s why you’re here early, is it not?” Malfoy drawled. “You were right. Potter’s job is to make sure mistakes are minimized. You told him what he needed to hear. It’s better that it came from you than Robards or Hendry.”

“I appreciate that you’re trying to give me advice, but I know how to deal with my best friend.”

Malfoy raised his hands up mockingly. “Suit yourself.”

An uncomfortable silence fell between them and Hermione watched the clock, waiting for Ron or Harry to arrive. Her eyes were drawn to the board and she looked for any updates even though she knew there wouldn’t be. Hermione had stayed late yesterday, hoping to get caught up on what happened yesterday. No one showed up, probably going straight home from the crime scene. It bothered her that neither Ron or Harry checked in on her and Hermione worried that she had truly upset them.

She also hated being outside of her element. As a criminal intelligence analyst, she went to hearings, collected data, conducted research all in the hopes of reducing future offenses, observing trends associated with particular crimes, and supplying other agencies with this information. Hermione didn’t know why the Minister had chosen her for the task force but now that she was involved, she was determined to succeed.

Ron was the next to arrive and slid into the seat next to her. He shot a goofy smile her way before pulling out a copy of The Daily Prophet and skimming through it. It reminded her of Mr. Weasley and she had to fight her smile. Hermione was still offended about his comment yesterday and didn’t want to forgive him too easily.

“Feeling better today?” he asked.

Hermione kept her gaze level with the board. “Yes, much better.”

“Where is Potter?” Malfoy asked.

“I’m here, I just wanted to check on a few things,” Harry said with impeccable timing. “Nice to see you back Hermione. Now, I am about to propose a change to how things are usually done.”

Ron looked up. “What changes?”

Harry pulled out a video camera and placed it on the table in front of them. It looked like a newer model, although she didn’t keep a lot of electronics at home. Her lack of knowledge on electronics was something that amused her cousins to no end during family reunions.

“I’m taking inspiration from muggles. I want to record our investigation. Every interview, every crime scene, I want it filmed.”

“What about the magical interference?” Hermione asked, her cheeks still rosy from his comment.

He took a seat on the opposite side of the table. “Malfoy and I have a friend that specializes in magical and muggle technology. I talked to him yesterday about my idea and don’t ask me to explain the details, but the camera will work perfectly fine.”

“Why do you want us to use it? Our investigations in the past have gone well. I don’t think we need to add any changes to it,” Malfoy said.

Ron snorted. “Against it because it’s muggle?”

“Enough,” Harry slammed his hand on the table to stop the brewing fight. “Hermione was right yesterday, I have been too lenient. We are a team and it’s time we start acting like it. The comments and unprofessional behavior need to stop. The Minister has chosen each of you for this investigation, because you are experts in your field. If you have a problem being a part of this team, there’s the door.”

An awkward silence followed. They looked at each other, seeing if anyone would get up and leave. She knew that no one would, each wanted to be here for different reasons. Was she willing to trust Malfoy with her life? No. But if Harry trusted him, then that would have to be good enough for her. Ron and Malfoy’s animosity ran deeper, their fathers had hated each other and had not hidden that from their sons. Yet she also knew that neither of them would step down.

“Good, that’s settled. The muggle police force uses recordings so that they can review the interviews at any time. It can sometimes take several viewings to pick up on subtle clues the witnesses give us. We’ll store them in evidence,” Harry said.

“I like that idea,” Malfoy admitted. “That way both the interviewer and interviewee can be held accountable if either of them behave inappropriately.”

“No one at the Ministry would abuse their position,” Ron defended. She could tell that there was more that he wanted to say but with Harry’s scold fresh in his mind, the redhead refrained.

The blond’s face darkened. “Abuse of power does happen and this will help maintain professionalism,” he said.

“As interesting as this is, I think we should get back to the mission at hand. What’s the plan?” Hermione asked.

Harry walked up to the board with a marker and right in the middle wrote the word: MOTIVE. “Any ideas?”

“It’s not related to substance. None of these girls abuse drugs or potions from what we’ve uncovered so far,” Malfoy said.

“I don’t think sex is a motive,” Ron said.

Hermione opened up a roll of parchment and started jotting down these notes. “I don’t think we can rule out sex yet. I agree that none of these girls have signs of rape, but we know that he stalks them and they are all posed similarly after death.”

“I agree with Granger,” the blond said. Harry wrote the words SEX next to MOTIVE. “There haven’t been any thefts either and these girls are all middle class, so money wouldn’t be a motive here.”

“Padma was different than the rest,” Ron said. “He hit her, which shows that he was angry or upset with her.”

Harry nodded. “I agree. Hermione, I want you to look into Padma’s background. Draco, go with her and you two can interview her family and friends. You know what needs to be done,” he said to the blond. “Ron and I will talk to her neighbors, her coworkers, and try to recreate the crime.”

Her heart sank when she found out that she had to work with Malfoy. It was probably payback for her comment yesterday. Harry and Malfoy were partners, why couldn’t they work together? Ron gave her a sympathetic look before leaving the room. Hermione was about to leave when Harry grabbed her arm. She noticed that Malfoy had also left at some point.

“Give him a chance. I put you guys together because this team needs to work if we’re to succeed,” Harry sighed when he saw her doubtful look. “I’ve never said this out loud, but Draco’s one of my best friends. He has issues and he can be an ass but under all that bullshit, he’s a good guy.”

“Fine, I’ll give him a chance,” Hermione said reluctantly.

She left the conference room and searched for Malfoy. He was leaning against the wall next to the elevator. “File in your complaint?”

“What?” she said before she understood what he meant. “No, Harry and I had to talk about yesterday. Where should we start?”

“Lunch, I’m starving.”

Before she could protest, he was already in the elevator. The lift was stuffed full of people and they barely squeezed in. She didn’t want others to know about their case, so she remained quiet as they went down to the main floor. Hermione was pressed up against an older man and she counted the minutes until she could escape. As soon as the door opened, everyone piled out. Only a faint jog enabled her to keep up to Malfoy’s long stride.

“Malfoy, we should be interviewing her family or friends,” Hermione said

He turned right and stopped so suddenly that she almost crashed into him. “I’m hungry, it’s lunch time. We can work after we eat.”

The blond pushed open the door to the restaurant next to them, the bell jingling, and chose a seat next to the window. Hermione didn’t see any other choice other than joining him. She opened the menu and was surprised to see Italian food. Malfoy quickly glanced at the menu before shutting it. There was an awkward silence but he didn’t seem bothered by it. His grey eyes were taking in the restaurant and the street outside.

She had expected hostility from him. Back at Hogwarts, they had always been at odds. He was a traditionalist at heart and Hermione was a liberal. It was one of the reasons they started on opposite sides of the war. She wasn’t sure what caused him to switch sides and she had more tact then to bring it up. Truthfully, Hermione had almost forgotten about Malfoy until this case brought them together again.

The server came to take their order and she decided to break the silence. “What have you been up to lately?”

“Small talk, Granger? Never pegged you for the type.”

Hermione huffed. “Well I thought it would be a good idea to get to know each other if we’re going to be working together, but never mind.”

Their food arrived, the spaghetti carbonara smelling heavenly. The pasta was cooked al dente and there was just the perfect amount of garlic in the sauce. She was halfway through her meal when Malfoy spoke up.

“I’m currently looking into hiring an up-and-coming artist from Hogwarts. He has a lot of potential.”

“Why would you need to hire an artist?”

He finished his bite of fettucine alfredo before answering her. “I own a couple of businesses on the side. They are mostly self-sufficient but I still oversee the major decisions. I’m opening a new store and I need a graphic designer. What have you been doing to occupy your time?”

She knew that he was only appeasing her. “Honestly, not much. I mostly just spend time with Ginny or I work.”

“This small talk thing sucks, Granger,” Malfoy said before turning to their server. He was just about to collect the plates from their table when the blond pulled out the chair next to him. “Sit down, George. My partner and I have some questions regarding Padma Patil.”

“What are you doing?” Hermione asked.

The blond shrugged. “I was hungry, so I thought I would combine both work and food. Parvati told me that her sister used to come here all the time. When was the last time you saw Padma?”

The server looked reluctant to answer until Malfoy pulled out his auror badge.

“Maybe five days ago? Me and the others were wonderin’ where she was. Padma comes in at least twice a week,” George answered. “Has somethin’ happened to her?”

“What was she like when you last saw her? Did she seem different?” Hermione asked.

He scratched the back of his neck. His short brown hair was greasy and the way he slouched back in the chair, she couldn’t picture him in Padma’s circle. Yet, he seemed genuinely worried for her.

“Yeah she did. Padma was havin’ dinner with her sister and they were fightin’. She also looked tired like she wasn’t sleepin’ well,” George answered.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “You remember all of this that easily?”

“He had a huge crush on her. Padma turned him down last Christmas though,” Malfoy said, his expression became quite serious. “Padma was killed four nights ago. Was anyone else working that night?”

The look on George’s face was heartbreaking. Nothing prepared Hermione for this part of the job and she was grateful that Malfoy took the lead, although he looked as uncomfortable as she felt. When it was clear that he wasn’t going to comfort the server, Hermione put a hand on George’s arm and said a few comforting words.

“I was the only one workin’ that night. Well Dan was workin’ in the back but he never came out. He’s the cook. Do you know who did it?” he asked.

“We’re still looking into it,” she said.

They paid their bill shortly after and left. As soon as they had walked down the street, Hermione grabbed Malfoy’s arm and pulled him so that he faced her. His expression immediately became guarded.

“Don’t you dare pull something like that again! We’re partners, which means that you need to keep me in the loop. You should have told me your plan,” she said.

The glare he shot her could have incinerated her. “Don’t scold me like I’m Potter or Weasley. Parvati told me about this place yesterday. If you were there, you would have known. You’ll have to play catchup on the fly because I have more important things to do like catching a serial killer than coddle you because you stormed out yesterday.”

“You dug into the technician as well,” she said, letting go of his arm.

“I did, but I also stayed on site and did my job,” Malfoy said.

A wave of shame crashed over her when he brought up yesterday. After his comment this morning, she thought that he was on her side. Hermione was surprised that she felt betrayed on some level. He was the one that put her in that position. Her eyes were stinging, a sign that she was close to tears. She hoped that he didn’t notice.

"Whatever. Where to next?”

Malfoy smirked. “We need to go pay Parvati a visit. She didn’t tell me that they had a fight the night before the murder.”

* * *

“So what’s it like working with Hermione?” Harry asked.

The two men were sitting on Padma’s front step. He wanted to get a feel for the neighborhood now that the forensic team was gone, the only evidence left behind was the yellow tape around the yard. It was a peaceful magical suburban with low crime rates and an emphasis on family values. This area was one of the first to employ communal wards, a stupid trend that was endangering people rather than keeping them safe. Didn’t people know that it was the people you knew that killed you? Someone had let the killer into the wards. Had it been Padma?

“Pansy isn’t happy about it. She’s convinced I’m going to fall back in love with Hermione,” Ron said.

Harry raised an eyebrow. “You won’t?”

“No. Hermione broke up with me. I know why she did it and part of me is grateful, but it still sucked.”

“She still loves you,” Harry said, ruffling his already messy hair. “I’m only saying this because we all have a lot riding on this case. Be careful.”

Ron glared at him. “I love Pansy. I wouldn’t do anything to fuck that up.”

Harry nodded. “Who would have access to this community?”

"The residents, family, and friends.”

“This reminds me of muggle gated communities. They think they’re keeping the bad guys out, but there are always other ways in.”

“Either the killer knew someone here or he was allowed in, maybe as a worker?” Ron said. “Either way, he made a mistake.”

Harry sighed. “Or grown more confident. He could be taunting us.”

Ron stood up. “Let’s get to work so we can find this fucker.”

He joined his friend as they started walking towards Padma’s neighbor. This was his hardest case to date and the responsibility fell on him for it to be solved. Harry had barely been home since he was given the assignment and he knew that Cho wasn’t happy about it. These days he felt like he had to choose between her and work.

The one good thing about this case was that he was reunited with Ron and Hermione. Things had been different between the trio since the breakups. Hermione was living with his ex-girlfriend, which made things uncomfortable at the best of times. Ron spent most of his time with Parkinson. Draco was the one who knew him the best these days, something he never believed would happen.

Harry hoped that this case would bring them all back together again.


	4. Chapter 4

Parvati was not available until the next day, so Malfoy and Hermione interviewed Padma’s friends instead. It was tedious work because everyone made it sound like they were best friends with her. They were still able to pin down Padma’s profile despite the overwhelming amount of information. She worked hard at school, harder at work, and was loved by her friends. There were mixed feelings about her boyfriend Anthony. Malfoy had looked into him and Anthony had been in a meeting in America at the time of Padma’s death with two witnesses present.

Hermione and Malfoy made their way up Parvati’s walkway. She lived outside of Hogsmeade in a tiny house. Malfoy knocked on the door while she cradled the video camera. Harry had just walked her through how to use it. Malfoy would be the one to lead the interrogation as he had already built a rapport with Parvati.

“Hi Draco. You’re right on time,” Parvati said opening the door. “Oh, Hermione. Come in.”

They stepped into her house and immediately, Hermione remembered living with Parvati back at Hogwarts. Her place was messy, full of things spilling out of shelves, stacks of magazines on every table in the living room. Hermione could tell that Parvati had expected Malfoy to come alone. She was too dressed up for a routine follow-up. Parvati left them in the living room to prepare tea while Hermione struggled to set up the stupid camera.

"While I interview her, snoop around her house. See if you can find anything useful,” Malfoy whispered.

She looked at the mess. “How am I supposed to find anything here?”

“I have no idea. Good luck,” he smirked.

Parvati stumbled into the room with her tea set and set it down on the only clear section of the table. She served them each a cup before collapsing on the couch. It was only then that Hermione noticed hints of bags under her eyes covered by concealer. It was easy to forget that the people involved in their investigation were grieving. When Malfoy nodded at her, Hermione started recording.

"We are implementing a new procedure for interrogations,” Draco said in a kind voice. “Do you mind if we film the interview? It is going to be standard for everyone and it will help the case.”

“Sure, I’ve always wanted to be an actress,” Parvati smile became watery. “Oh Merlin, I can’t believe she’s really gone.”

“We are sorry for your loss,” Draco said. “Could you remind us when you last saw your sister alive?”

“Two nights before she died.”

Parvati’s focus was on her partner so Hermione drifted to the side. Her former roommate paid her no notice. What kind of life did she lead? Hermione carefully started going through her things. Parvati mostly had letters from Gringotts and Lavender Brown. She recognized the type of letters the goblins sent her, it seemed like Parvati was in debt. Hermione didn’t envy the girl, Gringotts was harsh when you failed to make minimum payments on loans. The letter exchange between her and Lavender didn’t contain anything useful. Hermione tuned back into the interrogation.

“I don’t know why I lied. I guess I was scared you would blame me for her murder,” Parvati said, crying. “I did have dinner with her the night before, you know. We had a fight. I hate her boyfriend. He’s controlling and rude and he’s caused a huge rift between our family and Padma. Ever since they started dating, she’s shut us all out of her life.”

“What was Padma like when you last saw her?” Draco asked.

She sniffled. “I don’t know. She was angry and tired. I could tell that Padma had lost weight and I was really worried about her, but she wouldn’t talk to me when I asked her what was wrong.”

“It is likely that she was stalked. Did Padma ever mention that?”

"No, I had no idea. I would have forced her to move in with me if I had known—”

Hermione made a comment that she was going to use the toilet and disappeared up the stairs. Her instincts told her that Parvati was innocent, but she checked anyways. There was nothing of value other than a hoard of makeup and clothes. Searching the house had been a waste of time. Hermione returned to the living room just as the interview ended.

“Thank you, Miss Patil for your cooperation, this session is now concluded,” Malfoy said and then Hermione turned off the camera.

"If you need to get ahold of me, here is my information,” Parvati said, slipping a piece of parchment into his hand. “Hermione, it was nice to see you.”

The partners left Parvati’s house. Malfoy led her down a series of streets before stopping in front of a bistro. Hermione was starting to get used to his oddities and followed him inside. They quickly ordered and waited until the server dropped off their waters before breaking the silence.

“Do you know where every restaurant is?” Hermione asked.

He shrugged. “Only the good ones, I hate cooking.”

“I would have expected you to use your house elves for that.”

His expression was guarded. “I haven’t used one since I left the Manor.”

Hermione picked up on the change of his mood and let the silence stretch. The war had changed all of their lives in different ways. She still flinched whenever someone turned towards her with a knife. Ginny had learned to set down knives while she was cooking whenever Hermione walked in the kitchen or the redhead let her do the chopping. They all had their scars, even Malfoys. She read that his father died of a heart attack in Azkaban and his mother had followed shortly after, the newspapers stated natural causes.

“Where are you living now?”

“Have you become obsessed with me, Granger?” he smirked.

She snorted. “You wish. Has it ever occurred to you that the exchange of personal information leads to friendship?”

“I know how friendship works.”

Hermione was relieved when their sandwiches arrived. She didn’t know how Harry could work with the blond. Malfoy was difficult to talk to, headstrong, and guarded. Hermione knew that some topics were off the table, but he took everything off the table. How were they supposed to develop a working relationship if he never shared anything?

“Stop overthinking it. We are coworkers, I never asked for your friendship,” he said after they were done eating.

“Well I’m sorry if I want to be friends with the people that I work with. I’ll stop making the effort,” Hermione said, switching to work mode. “There was nothing at Parvati’s house that was useful to the case. There were letters from Gringotts that essentially said she’s in debt. She still talks to Lavender Brown. She’s still obsessed with hair, makeup, and eligible bachelors. What did you discover?”

He signaled for the bill. “Padma knew she was being stalked. She showed all the signs of it. Withdrawing from loved ones, weight loss, fatigue. She didn’t confide in her twin and Parvati blamed the boyfriend.”

“I wonder if the other girls knew they were being stalked,” Hermione said after the server dropped off the receipt. She put her share on the table and Malfoy followed suit.

“I don’t understand why Padma didn’t tell anyone.”

She sighed. “Stalking preys on the mind. At first, objects get moved in the home. You start to wonder if you’re going crazy. Maybe you didn’t leave that book on the kitchen counter, maybe it really was in the bedroom. The stalker gets bored of that and makes it obvious that someone has been in your home. You try and figure out how he gets in. You don’t tell anyone at first because it sounds crazy and you don’t want to worry anyone. You stop sleeping, you get paranoid—"

“It sounds like you know this from personal experience,” Malfoy said after Hermione had fallen silent. She waited for the laughter and the taunts. When they didn’t come, she looked up and saw that he was surprised.

She tried to play it off. “I had a stalker after the war. Harry and I ended up catching him and he’s serving a sentence in Azkaban.”

“Potter hasn’t mentioned it and it never hit the papers.”

"It happened shortly after Ron left for America. I was embarrassed about it and I didn’t want Ron to know. He probably would have returned,” Hermione said, folding up her clean napkin. “It’s the reason why I have a roommate when I can afford to live without one.”

"I see."

Fear and regret for disclosing so much to Malfoy seized her. “Please don’t tell anyone. Only Harry and Robards know and well now you do too.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” Malfoy answered. He said it in such a way that she believed him.

"Thank you.”

That might have been the first time those two words were ever uttered between the two. 

* * *

 

Ron and Harry stepped out onto the busy street and narrowly avoided being run into by a group of muggle boys. After spending an hour fighting with the MACUSA Auror Department, they were finally able to leave. How many times did they have to convince the Americans that they didn’t want to step on their toes? All they wanted to do was interview Anthony Wallace, a British citizen, about his girlfriend’s state of mind before her murder. Also, why couldn’t the Americans have an ordinary Ministry of Magic like them? It was something the redhead had always wondered.

Returning to New York had Ron grinning. There was no other city like it in the world. Cars raced past them, cabbies cursed at each other as they fought for customers, and the streets were packed. Being here was the breath of fresh air that he needed, although he could see that wasn’t the the case for Harry. The stressed look on his face reminded Ron of his first day in the city.

"This place is insane," Harry said.

He chuckled. “You get used to it. What did Padma’s boyfriend do again?”

“He’s a criminal defense lawyer. It says here that Padma met him a year ago at a Ministry function, but they only started dating six months ago. He’s an only child, his mother is from New York. He’s well off, quoted to be an asshole,” Harry read the file Hermione had put together. “He’s helping his mother with a case. She’s also a lawyer.”

“Figures, the rich always have it easy.”

Harry gave him a look. “You realize that you fit that category now. Pansy is also loaded.”

“Doesn’t mean my kids will have it easy just because Pansy and I have more money than my parents did when I was younger,” he said.

Being back here was like going down a trip to memory lane. It felt like just yesterday he wandered these streets. He was tempted to take the long way to see Wallace and revisit the old places and streets. Ron had some wild nights here. It had been all he could do to prevent himself from reaching out to Hermione back then.

“Ron? Is that really you?”

He turned around and did a double take. “Lydia?”

The pair hugged each other before separating. She looked exactly the same as the last time he saw her. Long brown hair, shining green eyes, and the widest smile he had ever seen. Lydia had been there for him when he was living here. She was the most positive person that knew and it had been so easy being around her.

“How are you?” she asked. “You would not believe how much trouble this guy is.”

“I seem to remember that it was your idea to break into the pool that one night,” Ron grinned.

She giggled. “It was worth it though.”

“Definitely.”

Harry coughed and Ron sighed. “Sorry Lydia, but I’m here for work. We’ll catch up some other time, yeah?”

“Sounds good. It was so nice to see you again,” she said hugging him once again.

Ron released her and watched as she walked away. He turned around and they resumed their journey. Harry kept shooting him curious looks but didn’t bring it up. It was better that way, there were some things his friend wouldn’t understand. Harry was a relationship guy and Ron was for the most part, except when he lived here. It felt like an eternity passed before they entered the skyscraper but before they could make their way to the elevator, a man in a suit stopped them.

"Do you have a pass?” he asked.

Harry pulled out his badge. It was spelled to look like a muggle police badge when muggles looked like it, a feature that came in handy. “No, but we have business with Mr. Wallace.”

“What? I can’t understand you,” the man said.

Harry repeated himself and Ron could tell that the security guard still couldn’t understand. “We have a meeting with Mr. Wallace. Don’t mind my partner, he was just transferred from London,” he said in his best American accent.

Harry looked at him like he had grown two heads and Ron suppressed his chuckle. The security guard looked at them for a minute before giving them a nod and letting them pass. It wasn’t until they crossed the marble floor and entered the elevator that Harry brought it up.

“Are you secretly an American? Are you really Ron Weasley?” he asked laughing.

“Shove off. I used to impersonate my American friends when I was drunk,” he shrugged.

Harry shook his head. “This is getting stranger by the minute.”

The doors opened and Ron followed Harry to the reception desk. He waited for Harry to talk to the assistant and the silence stretched. He could see the receptionist’s irritation with them, so he took the initiative. Ron knew what his friend was doing. Harry wanted to hear his stupid American accent again.

“We are looking for Mr. Wallace,” Ron said.

“Just a minute,” the receptionist said picking up the phone. She would have been attractive if not for her too-narrow eyes. After she whispered into the phone and listened to the answer, she waved them through.

They walked into the office and Ron couldn’t get over how big it was. You could almost fit the entire Hit Wizard Department in it. There was a good view of Central Park and the New York skyline. How did Wallace wind up working in a shithole at the Ministry if he could work over here?

“I’ve been expecting aurors, but I didn’t expect Harry Potter and Ron Weasley to be the ones to walk into this office. Take a seat. Would you like a drink?” Wallace asked.

Immediately, Ron didn’t like him. Anthony reminded him too much of Malfoy. His goatee made him look like a sleazy businessman and all he could think was: Padma had been dating this guy? Harry and Ron took the offered seat and the assistant brought them glasses of water while Wallace took a scotch.

“We are implementing a new policy at the Ministry. Do you consent to this interview being recorded ?” Ron asked as Harry set up the camera on the desk.

“That’s fine. So the sidekick is the one that’s going to interview me and not the famous Harry Potter,” Wallace commented.

“We aren’t here as a courtesy,” Ron said firmly. “Where were you the night that Padma was killed?”

He scoffed. "You already know this. I was in this office meeting with my mother and a client."

“When was the last time you talked to Padma?”

“I talked to her on the phone before the meeting. She always called me before she went to bed.”

Ron watched him closely. “How did Padma sound on the call?”

“She sounded really good actually,” he said, looking at Harry. “Padma told me that she was being stalked. I know a guy that does security and I had him set up wards to protect her. I wanted her to come here with me, but she was adamant that she didn’t want to be forced to change her life because of the stalker. It will always be my biggest regret, not forcing her to come with me.”

“Who was the person that set up her security?”

“Anthony Goldstein.”

Harry spoke up for the first time. “He’s the one that created the communal wards.”

“And he speaks!” Wallace looked amused. “He’s taking all the credit, but it’s actually his partner Edward that came up with the warding system.”

"Do you know Edward's last name or where we could find him?" Ron asked, pulling out a quill, ink, and parchment.

“You’re a pure blood alright. Ever heard of pen and paper? Way handier to use. I don’t know his last name, but I know that he works as an Unspeakable.”

Ron stood up and Harry turned off the camera. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Wallace. We will contact you if we have more questions,” Ron said before leaving the room.

Harry wasn’t far behind him and it wasn’t until they reached the elevator that Ron finally broke. “What, Harry?”

“Nothing, I just didn’t expect you to be like that.”

“Like what?”

He looked a bit embarrassed. “I guess I didn’t expect you to be so calm when Wallace insulted you.”

“He’s an asshole but I would never let that get in the way of my job. I swear that you and Hermione are expecting me to fuck up. I won’t,” Ron said.

It was something that he had noticed on the first day. His friends were expecting him to be the same boy he had been at school. It’s true that Hermione had to intervene, but he had worked on his issues. Ron had mentioned it to Pansy yesterday. She wasn’t exactly happy that he was working with his ex, but she knew it was important to him to prove himself to them. Malfoy was another story. Their families despised each other and Malfoy was not a good man. He only looked out for himself and treated others around him poorly. Malfoy had really hurt Pansy and it had taken Ron years to prove to her that he wasn’t like Malfoy.

Harry looked startled at his statement. “We aren’t expecting you to fuck up. It’s just been awhile since I’ve worked with you.”

“Give me the benefit of doubt. I’m a hit wizard and if you saw what we had to undergo through training, then you wouldn’t expect me to lose my cool because some rich bastard was trying to push my buttons.”

The rest of the elevator ride was silent. The doors opened and both men said goodbye to the doorman. It wasn’t until they were a block away that they stopped.

“You’re right. It’s easy to fall into old habits but we’ve all grown up since Hogwarts,” Harry said. “We’re allowed to spend the night here. Want to show me around?”

Ron knew that the issue wasn’t going to be resolved that easily, but he let the topic drop. “Sure, there’s a place right around the corner that has great pizza.”

The two friends made their way to the fast food joint. Harry would scribbled Hermione a letter to go and check out Goldstein and that Unspeakable. 

* * *

 

Hermione crumpled the piece of parchment. It was just like Harry and Ron to shirk their duties and expect her to cover their work. She was tempted not to do it, but she had no choice. They weren’t at Hogwarts. Harry was her boss and every second that passed, the serial killer got closer to his next kill.

She walked to the fireplace and called her partner.

“Granger, you better have a good reason for flooing me at home,” Malfoy said. “I knew I would regret giving you my floo information.”

“Harry and Ron got a lead that they want us to follow up on,” she said.

His eyebrow quirked. “And they can’t do it themselves?”

“Apparently they have some things to check out in New York.”

“You mean they’re getting shitfaced and leaving us with the work. Typical Potter,” Malfoy said. “Well you might as well come over.”

Hermione was surprised. “Why can’t we just go to the Ministry?”

“I’ve already changed out of my work clothes and I have a copy of everything here.”

“It’s illegal to make copies and bring it home.”

He smirked. “Then return your copies to the Ministry.”

“Fair point. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Hermione ended the call. She felt odd about going over to his place. Malfoy made it clear that they weren’t friends and she would be going over to his personal space. He was right though, she had made a copy of everything they had at the Ministry like him. Everything they could do at work, they could do at his place too.

"I never expected to see the day where the Hermione Granger went on a date with Draco Malfoy. His voice is just as sexy as I imagined it to be,” Ginny said plopping on the couch.

"Gin, that was a private call.”

“Then let me know before you make the call. You are in the living room.”

Hermione sighed. "It’s not a date. We’re working on the case together.”

“At his place?”

“It’s not like that. We aren’t even friends.”

Ginny raised her hands in surrender. “I’m just telling you what it looks like from an outsider’s perspective.”

Hermione grabbed her work bag and shoved the crumpled note in it. Her roommate could be so irritating sometimes. These were the times that Ginny acted like her mother, too nosy for her own good.

“Do you really think that I would be romantically interested in my childhood bully?” the brunette asked. “He did awful things. I could never forgive him for the things he did or the things he didn’t do. Malfoy walks around like he wasn’t a part of the Death Eaters and he was. I’ll work with him but nothing else.”

“I stand corrected then. I sometimes forget how wrapped up Malfoy was in your guys’ lives back then.”

“It’s fine, Gin. I should go.”

Hermione gave the girl a small smile before picking up a handful of floo powder and shouting Malfoy’s address. She didn’t see the look of sadness that crossed the redhead’s face as Hermione stepped through the green flames.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione stepped into Malfoy’s sitting room and was surprised by his home. She had expected it to be similar to the manor. Dark, gloomy, and reeking of wealth. His flat was larger than most, but simple. The large windows flooded the room with the light from the setting sun, a grey knit throw on his white couch. His home was spotless, minimalist and with no photographs of his family or friends.

“Granger. Would you like a drink?” he asked.

She jumped and felt like she had been caught snooping, even though she knew there wouldn’t be anything interesting to find. “No, thank you. Where are the files?”

“In my office.”

Malfoy led her to the second bedroom that he had converted into a study. It was meticulously organized and she could tell that this was the place he spent the most time in. There was a worn spot on his oak desk, where he put his beverage of choice. Firewhiskey or tea? There were still so many things that she didn’t know about him and it made her uncomfortable to be in such a personal space. Would he still be professional or would hints of the Malfoy from her childhood make an appearance?

Her gaze was drawn to the wall across from his desk. It was a recreation of the board they had at the office, but his was filled with little notes and questions. “What is this?”

“I thought the killer entered through the basement window, but Potter dismissed it. I haven’t gotten around to taking that down.”

“Why do you think he entered that way?”

“It’s what I would have done. The latch was almost falling off and someone could have easily gotten through undetected. Potter thinks he entered through the back door.”

Hermione looked at his note and the picture. “He could have unlocked her door magically.”

“The killer hadn’t used magic in his kills. I don’t think he uses magic at all when he enters the crime scene.”

“That’s an interesting observation.”

“What did Potter and Weasley find?”

She gave him the parchment and if he was curious about it being crumpled, he didn’t say anything about it.

“Alright, lets get started.”

* * *

Harry regretted staying in New York overnight. He had a pounding headache, which made the portkey home worse than he imagine possible. He had almost thrown up when he landed at the Ministry. Harry and Ron clutched each other for a good five minutes as they tried to quell their angry stomachs. They sprang apart as soon as they felt better and went their separate ways.

He felt guilty for staying behind with Ron and leaving Hermione with the work, but it was the first time that he and Ron had spent more than an hour together in ages. Was it really so bad that he wanted to catch up with his first friend?

Apparently it was, if Cho glaring at him was any indication. Harry had popped home for a quick shower and to change before heading back to work only to run into his angry girlfriend.

“You could have sent word that you weren’t coming home,” she said as she poured herself a mug of coffee.

“I’m sorry,” he said stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her. “Ron and I went to New York for work and we ended up staying overnight.”

Cho stepped out of his embrace and turned to face him. “And work is the reason that you smell like a bar?” she asked. “I don’t care that you went to New York or you stayed behind with Ron. That’s fine, but you couldn’t take a second to let me know?”

“I’ll make it up to you. Let’s go to Chez Louis for dinner tonight.”

“I told you that I have my symposium today. It’s like you forget about everything when you start a new case,” she said and he could hear the hurt in her voice.

Harry wanted to kick himself. How could he forget that was today? Cho was going to present the research article that she had been working on for the past year. He felt like an idiot. "I’m sorry. I’m trying to be better at balancing both you and work.”

She set down her empty mug. “You shouldn’t have to try like I’m some chore. I need to go, I’m going to be late for work.”

Cho didn’t look at him as she walked out of the room. He heard the front door slam and the faint sound of apparition. He looked at the clock and cursed, running upstairs and hopping in the shower. As the hot water blasted him, he tried to shake off his anger. It was a source of tension between him and Cho lately. His work schedule hadn’t been a problem when she was working at the hospital, but now that she had moved into research, Cho now worked regular hours. She expected him to do the same and it wasn’t fair.

Harry loved being an Auror. There was nothing else like the thrill of the chase or the satisfaction of catching the suspect. He would never work regular hours, in fact, his hours would get worse if he was promoted to the Head Auror. Robards worked longer and harder than the rest of them to make sure the Aurors were running smoothly. Being an Auror was in his blood and he couldn’t change that for anyone.

* * *

Draco liked to be the first one to arrive in the morning. He could tell what kind of day it would be based on how the others entered. Granger usually arrived after him. If her hair was pulled back into a chignon, she would be insufferable. If her curly hair was down, then she would be bearable. If Weasley walked in with that stupid grin on his face, then his insults would be kept to a minimum. Potter was the unpredictable one, but Draco had gotten used to his moodiness ages ago.

He had been reluctant to join the task force when he found out who would be on the team. He could work with Potter, but reuniting the Golden Trio and working with them? Draco knew what Granger and Weasley thought of him. He was never a team player and he knew that this team was just screaming that it would end in disaster.

The case itself was the reason he accepted. Draco didn’t care one way or another for the victims. Bad things always happened and there was little he could do to stop it. The killer was what intrigued him. This case was a mystery and Draco wanted to solve it. Ancient Runes had been his favorite class at Hogwarts for that same reason.

Granger took a seat next to him and smiled politely before opening her workbook. Her hair was braided, pieces of hair already escaping it. She had never worn a braid before, so he had no idea what to expect from her. Weasley followed shortly after and gave him a dark look when he noticed that Granger was sitting beside him. Malfoy was tempted to feign sickness when Potter stormed in. He recognized that look. Potter and Chang had another row.

“Did you follow up on the lead?” Potter asked, taking a seat.

He felt Granger bristle beside him and he was surprised when she didn’t snap at Potter. She might not want to bring it up, but Draco didn’t have a problem doing it. He didn’t care that his partner had another fight with his girlfriend or why he chose to stay behind with Weasley. There were many times that Draco had to keep Potter in check.

“Yes, Potter. While you and Weasley were boozing it up in America, Granger and I worked well in the night doing your work,” he said coldly. “We talked to Goldstein and have set up an interview today. It turns out that Edward Perry and Goldstein were childhood friends and neighbors. Perry came up with the communal ward formula. He hadn’t planned to put it into practice. Goldstein bought it off him.”

“So you don’t think that Perry is a suspect?”

Granger gave Potter the answer they came up with yesterday. “There isn’t enough to link Perry. He came up with the wards and knew how they worked, but there is no evidence that he and Padma crossed paths.”

“What about Goldstein?”

“He was unavailable yesterday as it was outside working hours. That is why we arranged the interview today,”

Potter grimaced. “I forgot about the time difference yesterday.”

“You and Ron are going to interview Goldstein and we’re going to follow up on another lead,” Hermione said. “Also, Hendry wants to see you later today. Here’s the memo.”

It was satisfying seeing Potter’s face pale.

“On that note, we should get on our way. Coming Granger?” Draco asked, already walking out of the room.

She put her things away and stayed behind to talk to Potter and Weasley. Granger started gesturing wildly and Potter’s smile disappeared. Weasley’s face grew red but surprisingly that was his only reaction. It satisfied Draco to see the Golden Trio at odds with each other. During their school days, they were perfect, too fucking perfect. They were a constant reminder of his failures, something Father brought up time and time again. Granger and her perfect grades. Potter and his luck, always there to save the day. Draco had also been jealous of Weasley, a bitter pill to swallow. But seeing them at odds, it showed him that they weren’t perfect. They were all a little fucked up.

It felt like ages before Granger joined him at the elevator, her face was flushed and her eyes bright with tears. He was surprised that someone intelligent and logical could be so emotional. He didn’t know what to do, so he ignored her. The elevator was empty when it arrived and they both stepped in. The witch kept huffing and clenching and unclenching her fists. He recognized the look on her face, it was the same one that she had when she blew up at everyone at the crime scene. Draco wanted to groan when he saw that they were still minutes away from their destination. Why in Merlin’s good name did Potter pair him with a harpy?

“Do I need to yell at you too?” she said suddenly, sounding exhausted.

“It’s too early to hear your shrill voice,” Malfoy said.

Her brown eyes blazed. “That’s what I’m talking about, your snide little comments. You dictate where we go, eat, and never once do you ask for my opinion. You’re arrogant and rude. I went along with it at first because Harry told me to give you a chance. I have too much pride to let you walk all over me.”

Draco pulled out his wand and stopped the elevator. It lurched so suddenly that it almost tossed them into each other.“What exactly are you accusing me of, Granger?”

“You claim to tolerate mudbloods,” the word sounded wrong coming out of her perfect, stupid lips, “and you do. You have tolerated being my partner. But you don’t respect me or think of me as an equal. Maybe I was stupid to think that there could be a day where blood no longer mattered. There will always be a divide between us, war or no war.”

Her words hung in the air between them, the first acknowledgement of their history. There had been tension between them – he was the Death Eater and she the Order member – but Draco had hoped to sweep it under the rug. They could work on the case and then never see each other again. Cold fury filled his veins as he stared at her satisfied smug expression.

“I’m going to ask Harry to pair me with Ron. It’ll be easier working with my ex than you,” she said.

“Enough.”

“See, you never listen to what—”

“You have thrown your accusations at me and now you’ll listen to what I have to say,” he said firmly. “Do you think that it’s easy to work with you? You represent everything that I am trying to move on from. I am actively trying to forget the war and make better decisions but each time I look at you, I am brought right back to the drawing room at the manor. I can still hear your screams.”

Her face paled at his words and she unconsciously grabbed her left arm. They both knew what lied beneath her sleeve. The thing that had always impressed him is that Granger never gave up. It didn’t matter what she was forced to endure, her determination and strength never wavered. Even now as he brought up one of her worst war memories, the fire in her gaze never dimmed. If Malfoy had half her strength—

“What gives you the right to bring that up? You did nothing. Nothing when your aunt decided to carve me up like some pumpkin.”

Draco felt like he had been punched in the gut. “What was I supposed to do? Stun everyone in the room? Despite the horrible things they had done, those people were my family. We all would have been killed.”

“Better that the mudblood dies, right?”

One stride and he had her pressed up against the wall. He almost retreated when he saw the look of fear on her face. Her brown eyes darted around looking for an escape and it made him sick to know that he could instill so much fear in someone. The reason he couldn’t be a Death Eater was because he didn’t have the stomach to carry out their threats. No one feared him, but this was the girl that he spent his childhood trying to break.

“Listen to me very closely, Granger, for I’m only going to say this once,” he swallowed but his tongue felt like parchment. “Not a day goes by that I don’t regret or hate myself for what I did in the war. I know that the same blood pumps in our veins and that you’re just as magical as me. I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to atone for the things that my family has done, so that one day, my children or grandchildren won’t have this fucking shadow hanging over them.”

Her mouth opened and he waited for the barrage of insults, but they were interrupted by a loud voice that boomed in the elevator.

“Is everything alright in there?”

Draco backed away from her, the moment broken. He waited to hear her accusations and he knew that his career at the Ministry was over. After the extensive background check, psych eval, and training, Draco knew that it would only take one mistake for the Auror Department to fire him. He sighed, thinking that all that hard work and the years of enduring the insults and glares had been for nothing. How could he be so stupid?

“Everything is fine. I don’t know what happened but the elevator stopped moving,” Granger said calmly.

He stared at her, surprised. The elevator resumed its journey and the doors opened at the required floor. The maintenance person didn’t say anything as they walked out of the elevator. She stepped out first and when he didn’t follow, the witch turned around.

“You better not be ditching me now, Malfoy. I am not going through all those documents without you,” she said.

Draco wanted to know what she was going to say in the elevator. He knew that it was important but he also knew that Granger wouldn’t tell him now that the moment was over. He gave her a nod and followed her to the storage room.

His mind was still whirling, trying to process what the fuck had just happened in the elevator. Draco had a plan to clear his family’s name of its negative reputation and being an Auror was essential to that plan. He would have to tread carefully from now on.

He didn’t know how, but Granger was going to be the death of him.

* * *

“Something serious must be going on if Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter all talk to me within two days after years of silence,” Anthony Goldstein said good-naturedly. “What can I do for you?”

Ron shifted him the wooden chair. “Padma Patil was murdered.”

“I did read about that in the paper. A serial killer got her… what was his name again? Right, the papers call him the Stranger,” he sad before pausing. “You don’t think I had anything to do with it, right?”

“We have to investigate every angle,” Harry said. “Where were you July second between midnight and two in the morning?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “I was at home sleeping.”

“Can anyone confirm that?”

“My fiancée can.”

Ron pulled out his quill set and parchment. “And who is that?”

“Lavender Brown,” Anthony said.

Harry saw his friend tense. “Congratulations. When did the communal wards become available to the public?”

“Two years ago. Our real success has come from the past year though. After the war, I wanted to find a way to keep people safe. This was my way of contributing.”

Harry could see that Anthony was expecting praise. The blond man had good intentions, anyone could see that. People were lost after the war and many had turned to Harry to see how they could help in the rebuild. He should have expected it, especially because that’s what happened to Dumbledore after he defeated Grindelwald. People thought that Harry could magically fix everything or make it better. It had taken a long time for him to get them to realize that he was only one man. Yes, he defeated Voldemort, but he didn’t win the war. It was the effort of everyone around him that did. Those that mattered understood that.

“Where did the idea come from?” Ron asked.

“My friend Ed and I were having a drink at the Leaky. It randomly came up. I wondered if communal wards would be possible. Three months later, Ed came and found me. He had figured it out and showed me his work,” he said.

“Who’s idea was it to turn it into a business?”

Anthony smiled. “Mine. Ed’s interest was purely educational. He would have let me have the rights to his work for free, but I couldn’t accept that. I made him a partner, though he isn’t really involved in the company.”

“How many people are employed by you?” Harry asked.

“Maybe thirty? Why are you so interested in the company?”

“Shouldn’t you already know?” Ron asked. “Padma was using your services and she was killed in her home. We need a copy of your employees and the information on your wards.”

“Of course, anything you need.”

Harry cleared his throat. “When was the last time you talked to Padma?”

“Maybe a few months ago? It was at a party. We didn’t speak long. Lavender was with me and she was with her boyfriend. Padma and I dated briefly a couple of years ago,” Anthony said.

“Why did you break up?”

He picked up his quill before setting it back down. “We just grew apart. Neither of us had the same friends and our friend groups didn’t get along. We realized we were better off as friends. It was the most amicable breakup I’ve been a part of.”

“I think those are all the questions we have for today. Thank you for letting us record the session, it’s something new we are trying,” Harry said turning off the camera.

Anthony nodded but he seemed to be in a bit of a daze. As Ron and Harry were leaving his office, he heard him shout.

“Matilda, in my office now!”

It wasn’t until they were out of hearing distance that Harry shook his head. “I can’t believe he expected me to be proud of his communal wards.”

“Did you also notice that he had no idea that Padma was a client. He better hope the papers don’t get wind of it,” Ron said, but paused when he realized Harry wasn’t following him. “Where are you going?”

“Hendry’s office. He wants an update on the case,” Harry said. “Also, remind me never to get drunk with you on a work night again.”

* * *

After spending ten hours in the darkest room at the Ministry, Granger shot up from her seat. The movement startled him after spending the day combing over old magical law enforcement and Auror cases. It was tedious work, because they didn’t know exactly what they were looking for. It was the reason they hadn’t told Potter and Weasley what they were working on today.

“I’ve found it,” she said with a huge smile.

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Not completely, but it fits. A gruesome, bloody murder that happened eleven months ago. The case was never closed,” she said handing him the file.

Draco read through the file before setting it down. “This is it, Granger. I think we’ve found the first murder.”


	6. Chapter 6

"You're certain that this is the first murder?" Harry asked.

Ron shut the file. "Even if it is, how does this help us? This killer also left no evidence at the scene, which is why the case was never solved."

"You guys are missing the important part of this murder."

The two men opened the file again. They flipped through the case for the fifth time and tried to see what Hermione saw. It was a bloody murder, the kind of crime scene you wouldn't want to be assigned to. The woman had been stabbed, but she had tried to fight her attacker based on how they found her. The only thing this case had in common with their own was that the victim was female.

"It's bloody? Our murders don't have any blood left at the scene. The killer cleans it up," Harry said.

"Why?" Hermione persisted.

"Because he hates the mess of it?" Ron said.

Malfoy sighed. "I'm done with your guessing game, Granger. Because the blood wasn't cleaned up at this murder, we know that some blood was missing from the crime scene."

"What do you mean missing?" Harry asked.

"It wasn't accounted for."

"So that murderer was a vampire or some kind of freak. I don't see how this relates to our murders," Ron said.

"Our killer – the same one as the case in front of you – is taking blood from his victims. The question is: what is he doing with it?" Malfoy asked.

Harry's eyes widened. "Our girls are missing blood?"

"We asked Nate to run the test yesterday. He was only able to check Padma and she was missing a pint of blood exactly like this case," Hermione said pointing to the file in front of them, "There's no way to check the other victims because they were cremated, but I would bet that blood was taken from them as well."

"That's why the killer doesn't use magic at the scene or in his murders. He doesn't want to taint their blood," Malfoy said.

"He's using it for a ritual," Harry said. "Do you know which one?"

Hermione shook her head. "We've been combing through the archives, but it could take years before we find it. Does he need exactly one pint or less? How many pints does he need in total? Does he have to take it from women or is that his personal choice?"

"We need to find out how many women he has killed so far," Ron added.

A hush descended on them as they considered this new information. Hermione was right, this new lead led to more questions than answers. How could they know the killer's intentions without knowing his identity? Yet it was impossible at this stage to know who he was. He was meticulous in his murders, leaving nothing behind that could incriminate him.

"How did the interview with Goldstein go?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "For all his talk, Anthony didn't know that Padma was enrolled in his communal wards. He's sending us the warding formula and his employee list."

"Goldstein and Padma dated, but he said it was an amicable breakup," Ron said.

"Breakups are never amicable. Someone is always hurt even if they pretend not to be. Do we know whose decision it was to break up?"

"No, we don't. You think he's a suspect?" Harry asked.

"Possibly. Goldstein had motive and access."

Hermione put Anthony's picture on the wall and wrote SUSPECT beside it. "I don't think it's him. It doesn't fit. What about his partner?"

"You heard Perry. He was at the Ministry at the time of the murder and he's in the logs," Malfoy said.

"Draco and Hermione, find out how the killer chooses his victims. Ron and I will look into the ritual," Harry said. "Do you guys want to grab a drink at the pub after? We can share our findings there."

Hermione and Ron nodded, but Malfoy shook his head. "I'll pass."

Without a word exchanged, Hermione and Malfoy walked out of the room together. There was something strange about the sight, but thankfully Ron was oblivious to it.

* * *

"Do you have any theories?" Draco asked once they entered the lift.

Granger shuffled the documents in her arms. "No. I haven't been able to pin anything down yet. All I can think of are muggle examples."

"Such as?"

"We know the killer had access to their homes and it's likely he has already been inside. Everything about his murders is controlled. Who do we let in our homes without a second thought?" she asked. "Plumbers, electricians, painters, maids, babysitters, the list goes on. People who know where we live are cabbies, mailmen. Or our killer could pose as a friend or boyfriend."

They paused their conversation when two women entered the lift. Lady Greengrass and Lady Parkinson stood as far away from Draco as they could. Age had not been kind to either of them as if karma knew the terrible people that they were. They were the purebloods that publicly announced that they had changed their ways, but it was all for show.

"Draco, I thought you were better than associating yourself with such company," Lady Greengrass sniffed.

Granger was about to interject, but he beat her to it. "Lady Greengrass, it has been a pleasure to see you after all this time. Are you still bitter that I rejected the betrothal offer between me and Astoria?"

"Your mother would be ashamed of your manners," Lady Parkinson said. "I always knew that there was something wrong with you. Poor Lucius and Narcissa, they're rolling in their graves right now."

"Leave my mother out of this," Draco snapped. "I feel sorry for you. Your families will wither away until nothing is left. How are your funds? I heard that the old families haven't been doing so well these days."

The lift doors opened and the two ladies stormed out. Granger held him back for a second before allowing him to leave. They walked in silence through the atrium. Draco was glad that he had a moment to compose himself. It took a lot to get him angry these days, but whenever his mother was brought up… He shouldn't have lost his temper, especially in front of Granger.

The cold autumn air felt refreshing and he took a deep breath before turning to his partner. She was watching him and for once, he couldn't read the expression on her face. This troubled him. Potter was always an open book, making it easier to work with him. Granger was unpredictable, ranging from emotional to logical in an instant.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I think we should check out Gringotts. They will have her account on file and we can see what was charged to it. Maybe there will be overlap with the other girls."

"I don't know why I didn't think of that before. Do you think the goblins will willingly hand over that information? I read in A History of Goblin and Wizard Treaties that the treaty of 1563 stated that the goblins did not have to release the records or information to the Ministry of Magic, even if the Minister asked themselves."

"Why would you read such a thing? It is true that Gringotts has its own laws and that the goblins don't have to answer to the Ministry, but the old families have a special relationship with them."

Granger looked at him. "Knowledge is power. And I thought you said that the old families are facing difficult financial times?"

"I did, but you don't have to worry about me," Draco said. "There's a good Italian restaurant down the street that you can meet me at."

"I'm going with you."

"No, the goblins hold grudges and they will not give anything to the witch that released their dragon and ruined their reputation."

They stared at each other, a battle of wills before she finally looked away. He wanted to celebrate but he thought that she might very well murder him if he did. Draco gave her the restaurant information before heading towards the bank. He might as well get some personal business taken care of while he was there.

* * *

Harry had laid out the pictures of each crime scene on the floor and stared at them. Not for the first time, he wondered if they were all in over their heads. The Wizarding World rarely had serial killers, Dark Lords were far more common. At least they knew what Voldemort wanted, more power and eternal life. Harry paced back and forth as he repeated that in his mind. When it came down to it, everyone wanted the same thing: power, love, success, acceptance, and life. Riddle had made his horcruxes. Were serial killers any different?

The murderer was both clinical and passionate. He used violence to subdue both the first victim Emilia Raymond and Padma Patil. Why was he passionate in some murders and not in others? These women were all independent and driven. They wouldn't have let themselves be killed so easily unless the killer had controlled them in some way. He didn't use magic, but there were other ways to control someone. How many times had Harry witnessed Riddle's manipulation first hand?

He chose women for a reason. The killer was angry at them. Were the murders a mean to an end or did he –

"Why did you give Hermione and Malfoy the easier job?" Ron said suddenly, startling him.

Harry tried to remember where his thought process had been, he had been so close to the answer… but it was gone. "Ron, I was in the middle of something."

"Staring at the floor in a daze. I mean, how are we supposed to know what the killer wants?"

"I was in the middle of looking at the cases and I was so close to seeing a pattern before you interrupted me," Harry said, walking away from the pictures. "This is how I work, Ron. If you're bored, then go figure it out yourself."

Ron looked taken aback and he felt a bit guilty for his comment. It was easy to forget that there were things about each other that had changed. Draco knew that he needed to be left alone when he got into his trance. Harry had to learn to rely on himself for information once he became an Auror. Hermione was not there on hand, able to answer his questions.

"I think the Minister made a mistake when he chose me for the team," Ron said. "You, Malfoy, and Hermione know what you're doing. As a Hit Wizard, I already know who I'm pursuing. I hate this not knowing."

Harry sat down. "You're right for this team. We're all feeling out of our elements right now, which is normal. This is a different type of investigating and it'll take some time before we pick up on it. I'm sure that Robards would be doing a better job than me, but we're doing our best, which is all that matters."

"I think I'll go and poke around Knockturn Alley. If the killer is going to perform a ritual or if he already has, he has to use more supplies than the blood. Maybe the shopkeepers will know something about it," Ron said.

"That's a good idea. You're still coming to the pub tonight?"

Ron said that he was and left. Harry turned back to the mess he had left on the floor and looked at the murders.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, looking through the pictures for the hundredth time, hoping the answer would fall out of the sky at this point. "Everyone wants something."

* * *

"So, you and Malfoy?" Harry asked when Ron went to get their drinks.

Hermione turned her head to look at him so quickly she thought she had whiplash. "Not you too. I respect him as a colleague, nothing more."

"I am merely commenting on the fact that you two have grown closer."

"I don't like the man. He's difficult to work with, stubborn, but I can't deny his intelligence," she said. "He's still an arse."

Ron returned to the table, saving her from Harry's response. The look in his green eyes meant that the conversation wasn't over, unfortunately. The redhead scooted beside her so that she was stuck in the middle of her two friends. After spending so much time apart on this case, Hermione almost forgot how much Ron affected her. He still smelled the same. His leg was pressed against her and her skin tingled at the contact. She knew that it wasn't intentional, but Hermione couldn't help but hope.

She knew that it meant nothing.

"Did you and Draco find anything today?" Harry asked.

"Malfoy went to Gringotts and got the financial records of the victims. There's a lot to go through, but I'm hoping that we find a connection. What about you guys?"

"I haven't found much yet. I was going over the interviews hoping that something would jump out at me. There's something that I'm missing, it's just at the tip of my tongue…" Harry trailed off.

Ron interrupted when he saw Hermione's frustrated look. "I went to Knockturn Alley today to see if the shopkeepers have sold any rare ingredients or if someone has been coming in more than usual."

"And?" Hermione asked, gripping her butterbeer tightly.

"There have been more unusual purchases, but the person wore a hood so they couldn't give me a name. He also paid in coins," he said and pulled something out of his pocket, "All is not lost. They gave me a list of the more unusual things that have been sold in the past year. I was going to start going through Dark Arts books tomorrow and creating a list of rituals or potions that have human blood and maybe some of the things on this list."

She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as he explained his plan. Hermione wasn't used to this side of Ron, but she had always known it existed. He had always been smarter than he gave himself credit for. Back in second year, he had helped her with the Polyjuice Potion tossing in the ingredients as when it was required.

"That sounds like a solid plan, Ron," Harry said, tossing back his firewhisky. "Although I did want us to talk about the case, that's not the real reason that I wanted to meet. I'm going to propose to Cho and I wanted you to be the first to know."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other before congratulating him. It was no secret that Harry and Cho's relationship was rocky and she wasn't sure that marriage was the answer. Cho was nice enough, but she was a tad selfish. Harry bent over backwards trying to please his girlfriend and it never seemed like Cho was grateful or appreciated it.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

Hermione interjected. "We are happy for you, we just want to make sure you're doing it for the right reasons."

"I love her, isn't that reason enough?"

"Are you sure you're not doing it because of the problems you have been having lately?" she asked gently. "Marriage isn't the answer, Harry."

Ron sighed. "I like Cho, I do. I just don't think she's the one, mate."

Hermione felt guilty when she saw how angry and hurt her best friend was. He looked between his two friends before standing up. "I love Cho and I will ask her to be my wife. I thought that you would support me in this, but it doesn't matter. I thought I could at least count on your support, Ron."

Harry grabbed his cloak and left the pub, leaving Ron and Hermione alone.

"He'll come around," Ron said, finishing his drink.

"He's always wanted a family," she said before turning to Ron. "What did he mean when he said he thought he could count on your support?"

He paled. "I don't know why he said that."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm going to propose to Pansy this weekend," Ron said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Hermione wished that they had been sitting at a table. She could have stood up gracefully and walked away with her head held high. Instead, she had to scoot her arse out of the stupid booth and it made a horrible farting sound before she was free. Her face was burning with embarrassment as she ran out of the pub, not caring that this would be all over the tabloids in the morning. She was so close to the apparition point outside when she heard him.

"Hermione!"

"What?" she yelled, spinning around. "Have you come to rub it in?"

Ron took her arm and led her into a side street. She tried to wrestle out of his grasp, but to no avail. "I'm sorry that I'm hurting you."

"Why her? You're supposed to be with _me_."

"I love you, 'Mione, and I think I always will. But I'm not the guy for you. You need someone that can both keep up and challenge you. Someone that cares about the same things that you do, that wants the same thing out of life."

"When did we start wanting different things? You're my best friend. I didn't know that letting you go all those years ago meant that I was letting you go forever," Hermione said, her voice breaking as tears started streaming down her face.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried. Ron ran his hand through her crazy hair like he used to when they were together. She wanted so badly to go back to when things were simpler, when it was only them. Working with him had been difficult, to be reminded of how much he had changed since the breakup but also to see how similar he was.

"Why Pansy?" she asked, hating how weak she sounded.

"When I'm with her, I'm the best version of myself," he said holding onto her tighter when she started pushing him away, "I'm not saying this to hurt you, but you need to know how serious I am about Pansy. I never thought that I would get over you, but I did. There is someone out there for you too."

Hermione wanted to tell him how much she missed him, how they were perfect together, and that she didn't need someone to keep up with her. They were meant to be together. How long had she clung to that thought in the hopes that one day it would prove true? But as she pulled away from him, Hermione could see that she had lost him. He wasn't in love with her.

She let go of him and gave him a small nod.

"You're going to be okay. You'll find your person," he said. "As long as it's not bloody Malfoy."

"You chose Parkinson, so don't even start," Hermione said, walking away.

She wanted to turn around, to see if he was watching her as she left his life. Hermione knew that things between them would never be the same. It took every fibre of her strength to pull out her wand. Would he stop her like the movies? Should she turn around and run to him? Except that this wasn't a movie or a fairy tale. This was reality. With a deep breath, she apparated away knowing that everything was different now.

When Hermione landed in her flat, she crumpled into Ginny's arms.


	7. Chapter 7

"Ron and Hermione don't think that I should propose to Cho," Harry said as soon as Draco let him into his flat.

He kept replaying the conversation in his mind, trying to understand. His friends had been supportive of his relationship with Cho so far, which is why it took him so off-guard. Maybe Ron and Hermione had been the wrong people to ask for advice. They weren't as close anymore.

"So why are you here?" Draco asked.

"What do you think I should do?"

The blond disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two glass tumblers and firewhisky. He poured them each a glass before offering one to Harry. "It doesn't matter what I think. You already know what you need to do."

Harry took a large swig before setting down the glass. A comfortable silence stretched and filled the room, something that still surprised him after all this time. Draco was the last person that he had expected to become his best friend. The blond liked to pretend that he was still a snarky Slytherin, but Harry knew that Malfoy also enjoyed their friendship. They were always frank with each other, which caused a lot of shouting matches. They ended up resolving them after sleeping on the issue at hand.

However, Draco's advice was not what he needed to hear right now. He didn't know what he needed to do, that was the whole problem. He loved Cho. She was patient, kind, and smart. Cho used to make him laugh every day, a lightness that he needed after the war. She had helped him heal in a time that he thought that would be impossible. But somewhere along the way, they stopped laughing and space grew between them. They each tried to bridge the gap in their own ways, but it wasn't working.

Maybe there was some truth to Hermione's words. He had initially come up with the idea of getting engaged to save their relationship. Harry knew that they were in trouble, but he wasn't ready to let go yet.

He knew what he needed to do.

"Thanks, Draco. I'll see you tomorrow."

The blond took the glasses and firewhisky back to the kitchen.

When Harry returned home, he found Cho sleeping on the couch. She looked beautiful with her dark hair fanned out around her like a halo. He felt guilty that she had been waiting up for him. Gently waking her up, Harry carried her up to their bedroom determined to make things right between them.

* * *

As soon as Weasley walked in, Draco knew that something was wrong. He looked torn between guilt and relief as he sat down. They were waiting for Granger and the way that the redhead kept glancing at the door most likely meant that he had something to do with her tardiness. It wasn't a secret that Granger still carried a torch for Weasley and Draco wondered what it was about the wizard that attracted witches out of his league. First Granger and then, Pansy.

Potter stormed into the room without so much as a hello and threw the Daily Prophet on the table between him and Weasley.

_TASK FORCE IN TROUBLE AS PERSONAL DRAMA UNFOLDS!_

_Last night, Ronald Weasley, 25, and Hermione Granger, who just celebrated her twenty-sixth birthday, were spotted quarrelling outside the Leaky Cauldron. It is well known that the pair has a tumultuous history. Childhood best friends turned into lovers, our sources say that it was Granger that pulled the plug three years ago, a decision she seems to regret if the shouting match they had was anything to go by._

_Weasley has been dating Pansy Parkinson, 25, for the past two years. Granger and Weasley have been assigned to the task force responsible for capturing the Stranger, a serial killer responsible for the murders of four witches. The task force is led by Harry Potter and includes former Death Eater Draco Malfoy, who is known for tormenting the Golden Trio. This task force seems to have been doomed from the start, more focused on dealing with personal drama than performing their jobs._

_Will the Stranger be caught before another witch is killed? Is it time to assign a new task force? What does Miss Parkinson think of her boyfriend working with his ex-girlfriend?_

Draco glared at Weasley who had paled after reading this morning's paper. He was glad that he was only mentioned in one sentence, but it still caused him considerable damage. Wasn't working with the Golden Trio supposed to help his reputation, not make things worse? Draco should not have been mentioned. He would have to talk to his contact at the Prophet, he paid them considerable money to keep his name out of the papers.

"Please tell me that the Prophet made this up," Potter said, his voice barely containing his rage. "That is what I told Hendry and the Minister of Magic this morning when they yelled at me for an hour straight."

"I- I'm sorry," Weasley said, his head in his hands. "You let it slip that I was planning on proposing to Pansy yesterday and Hermione didn't take it well."

"And you had to hash it all out in public? What were you thinking? No, don't answer that. It's very clear that you weren't. I have half a mind to listen to Hendry and kick you off this team, Ron."

The redhead looked up, his face horrified. "They want to kick me off?"

"Do you not realize how much this negative publicity affects us? The public wanted us to catch the killer yesterday. We still don't have a suspect, his selection process, or his goal. You just royally screwed us," Potter said. "And Hermione called in sick today. Is she going to return to work, Ron? How bad was this fight?"

"I don't know! Get off my ass, Harry. You were the one that fucked up by letting it slip that 'I thought that I could at least count on your support, Ron'."

Draco was tired of this bullshit and stood up. When the two continued fighting, he slammed his hand on the table making them jump.

"Enough. What's done is done. We need to do damage control. We stop what we're doing and we focus on the financial records that Gringotts gave us. I know that it'll show how the victims are connected. If we all go through them together, we'll get through them quickly enough and we can hold a press conference where we can address both the article and update the public on our progress," he said. "It will also show that we have a good relationship with the goblins, which will demonstrate the professionalism of our team."

"But the goblins gave the records to you, not the team," Weasley said.

He shrugged. "We bend the truth. I will not get kicked off this case."

"Okay, we'll hold the press conference tomorrow. We work all day and night and all morning if we need to," Potter said and they all agreed.

* * *

The three wizards had working most of the day and they made a dent through the files the goblins provided. It was difficult at times to follow the trail of money and they often had to check other documents to verify where the money went. None of the victims lived in the same area and while some owned property, others rented. Their homes were not built by the same company.

Potter had gone to get their dinner, leaving Draco alone with Weasley. The redhead ignored him and the stress from this morning didn't seem to be bothering him any longer. It irked Draco that he could let it go so easily, that it didn't bother him that their reputation was now in tatters because of him and Granger. Potter had tried to see her earlier in the day, but she would not see him or answer his letters.

"If it was up to me, you'd be off this task force."

Weasley didn't look up. "Good thing it's not up to you."

"It's disgusting that you're not bothered that you almost cost us this case and the smartest person on this team refuses to come in because of you," he said.

The redhead threw his quill on the table. "Don't pretend that you care about Hermione, we both know that you can barely stand working with her."

His blood boiled as yet another accusation was thrown his way. He was tired of people always putting him down, expecting the worst from him. Granted, Draco had been a little shit growing up but he had changed and he wanted people to recognize it. He liked Potter – and Granger was growing on him – but he didn't think he would ever like Weasley. The ginger represented the ignorance that Draco was faced with every day. Even after everything they had all been through, Weasley still saw the world as black and white.

"Granger is my partner and she deserves respect. Don't think that I haven't noticed how you've been playing with her feelings since this task force was created. I've seen the way you look at her and the way you act around her and I'm warning you right now that if you hurt Pansy or Granger, you will have to deal with me," Draco said.

"Whatever, Malfoy," Weasley said, turning back to his file.

Draco was trembling with anger that the redhead was so nonchalant about his mistreatment of Granger. Granted, he didn't care one way or the other for the witch. She was emotional, too high strung, and an annoying little chit. But, Granger was his partner and that gave him a responsibility to look out for her.

Potter came in with dinner and if he noticed the tension in the room, he didn't say anything.

* * *

Every journalist that Harry knew was here and then some. He knew that the room would be crowded, but he hadn't expected this many people. There was overspill into the corridor and the hushed voices added to his overwhelmed feeling. The press conference had been Malfoy's idea and he was tempted to force his former partner to come out here and take the lead instead.

Draco had always been a good public speaker. He was good at reading the crowd, while Harry felt out of his element. But, he was the lead on this task force and he would one day be the Head Auror, which meant that he had many press conferences in his future. Unfortunately.

As soon as he stepped onto the podium, Harry was blinded by the flash of the cameras and everyone started shouting questions at him, the voices blending together so that he couldn't understand a thing that they were saying. Harry raised his hands and waited for silence.

"Thank you for coming out here today," Harry said. "I am bringing you both an updated and reassurance after a rather unsavoury article was printed yesterday. The killer is targeting witches that are a part of the communal wards offered by Goldstein Enterprise –"

* * *

"Where is she?" Malfoy asked as soon as he stepped out of the fireplace.

Hermione sunk lower into her blankets, wondering if it was possible for them to swallow her whole. She had expected Harry to be the one to come, not Malfoy. It had been days since she last showered, her hair was a mess, and her eyes were still red from crying this morning.

"In her room," Ginny said. "Good luck. I've been trying to get her out of bed for days now."

She heard his heavy footsteps come closer to her room and pulled the blanket over her head. It was a stupid move, but she didn't want to face his anger. They were partners and she had let him down. Fresh tears pricked at her eyes at the thought of how disappointed Harry and Malfoy must be with her behaviour. Hermione was disgusted with herself for letting her past with Ron ruin her career at the Ministry.

The door opened and she was surprised when the bed dipped right beside her legs.

"Granger, look at me."

She shook her head, knowing she was being childish. How could she look him in the eye when she knew that he was about to laugh at her. It seemed like she had little choice when Malfoy pulled the blanket from her face.

"I'm expecting a bonus after we solve this case, dealing with both your and Potter's personal drama," he said.

Hermione was about to answer when he interrupted her.

"It was a joke," Malfoy said. "Do you want us to remove Weasley from the task force? You are more valuable than he is and there are other competent witches and wizards that could take his place."

She was tempted by his offer. Hermione wasn't sure that she could face Ron anytime soon and the thought of working with him was unbearable. There was no telling how long this case would last. But, this concerned both of their careers. Ron would not go from the task force quietly. He had worked hard to reach this point of their careers. They both had and it wouldn't be fair to either of them to walk away now. As much as she didn't want to see him, she would suck it up. It meant a lot to know that Malfoy was ready to support her and would choose her if one of them had to go.

"No, he's as much a part of this team as I am. I appreciate the sentiment," Hermione said. "Has there been any progress?"

Malfoy nodded. "The communal warding system is the thing that links the victims. Now we just need to figure out if the killer works for Goldstein, is actually Goldstein, or if someone has managed to break through the wards. We need you on this, Granger."

"I can do it," she said, tilting her chin up. Hermione was trying to convince herself more than Malfoy. "Based on the previous timelines, he's going to kill again soon and we're still not going to be able to stop it."

"We are doing the best we can right now," Malfoy shrugged, standing up. "Take the weekend off to sort yourself out and I expect to see you at the office on Monday morning or I will come back and drag you there myself. Clear?"

Hermione nodded. "Monday."

"We'll limit the interactions between you and Weasley for the next couple of weeks unless it's unavoidable. The case comes before your personal drama."

"Why are you being so kind?" she asked.

He looked uncomfortable. "Contrary to what you believe, I'm not a terrible person. See you on Monday."

She watched him leave. Hermione was confused about Malfoy's behaviour. Part of her wanted to be suspicious about his motive. He was acting out of character and she knew that there had to be a reason for it. What did he have to gain? But Hermione had to admit that she didn't really know Malfoy. Was this a facet of his personality or a deception?

And when the bloody hell did she get so paranoid?

* * *

By the time that Ron got home, he was in a terrible mood. He didn't think his mood could get worse after his fight with Hermione. He wasn't going to tell her about his plans to propose to Pansy and was going to announce it to the team after Pansy accepted. Although he would always love Hermione, she was in the past. There wasn't a reason for her to know about his plans with Pansy, which is why he was pissed at Harry for letting it slip. Ron had made a mistake when told him about it in New York.

Pansy was sitting at the table and had already started eating dinner. She was wearing his favourite dress, her hair gathered up exposing her long neck. It should have turned him on, but he only felt more exasperated. Ever since he had started working on the task force, Pansy made sure that his favourite meals were on the table and she looked better than ever. Any man would have loved it, but he knew what was really going on.

"Aren't you going to come and eat?"

Ron sighed. "Come here, I want to talk to you first."

"If you're going to break up with me and tell me that you're going back to Granger, then don't bother. I don't know why I even bothered –" she said, walking towards him.

He grabbed her arm and tugged her towards him so that she fell into him. Ron picked her up and walked towards the couch where he sat down and adjusted her so that she was sitting on his lap.

"I'm not breaking up with you. I love you, only you," he said, pulling her closer, "But you need to stop this. I love that you're getting my favourite food, wearing my favourite things, but I know you're not doing it for the right reasons."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't do those things if I didn't want to."

"You're doing it because you're scared that I'm going to leave you for Hermione. You just admitted it yourself."

"What do you expect me to say?" she said, her gaze hard.

He searched her blue eyes, wondering how exactly to word what he wanted to say. Ron had never been good with words or expressing his emotions and he hadn't cared about it too much… until Pansy. She always acted strong, and she was, but she was also fragile.

"You don't need to do those things to prevent me from leaving you. I know you've found it difficult since I joined the task force and I don't know how I would react if I found out you and Zabini were working together," Ron said. "I have never hidden my past with Hermione. I need you to trust me when I say that I don't have feelings for her anymore."

"I want to trust you," Pansy said, grabbing her wand and summoning the Daily Prophet. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Ron rubbed the back of his neck. There were two ways this conversation could go. He hadn't told her about the fight because she would want to know what had set it off and he would have to tell her about his plan to propose. He had been carrying around the ring for over a month now, waiting for the perfect moment. It would ruin the surprise. But if he didn't tell her, then she would think that he still loved Hermione.

He didn't want to hide things from Pansy. Their relationship was built on trust and honesty. His hands suddenly clammy, Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet box. Her eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.

"I've been carrying around this box for the past month waiting for the perfect moment. I told Harry about it when we were in New York and he let it slip to Hermione. That's why we had a fight. She was upset about it and I had to be frank about it, about you," Ron said, looking at her hands. "I was a bit harsh with her, but she needed to know that you're the love of my life and I don't plan on ever letting you go. I didn't tell you about the fight because I didn't want to spoil the proposal, but the Prophet ruined it."

Pansy kissed him, taking him off guard. It wasn't the reaction that he had been expecting, but he let himself get lost her in her.

"Yes."

He pulled back. "What?"

"Yes. I'll marry you, Weasley."

He could feel the large grin on his face and he picked her up, tossed her over his shoulder and carried her up to their bedroom. When he was explaining to her why he was fighting with Hermione, he hadn't meant to actually ask Pansy now. He had wanted the proposal to be romantic, but if she said yes… That's all that really mattered anyways.

"Wait, my ring –"

"You'll get it later, Parkinson."

* * *

Hermione lingered by the lift, trying to work up the courage to enter the conference room-turned-office. She wasn't ready to face the team, but she knew that she had to. The Daily Prophet had announced Ron and Parkinson's engagement and although it still hurt, it wasn't as bad as the night that she found out that she and Ron were over forever. She knew that she had to let go of the past, but how was she supposed to do that when she had to work with the redhead?

It was Malfoy's words that made her move towards the door. Harry had been understanding, but he would never be able to support her fully, torn between his loyalty to his two childhood friends. It was strange that she had started to rely on Malfoy, but he had become an actual partner after their spat in the lift. They were by no means friends, but she knew that she could depend on him. It was a reassuring feeling and with that thought, she entered the room to see that Harry, Ron, and Malfoy were all waiting for her.

She took a seat on Malfoy's left, the furthest seat from Ron.

"Now that we are all here," Harry started. "There's been another murder. It's time to put aside our personal issues and get back to work. We have a killer to catch."


	8. Chapter 8

This murder was different, it was both angry and punishing. Gone were the kills masked as suicides. The killer knew that the team was getting closer to solving the case and he retaliated. Hermione was irritated with herself. If she hadn't fought with Ron, the Daily Prophet wouldn't have run that awful article and the press conference wouldn't have been necessary. Harry had to reveal their hand to the public, which meant that the killer knew that the team was onto him. Hermione felt the bile rise in her throat as she looked at the crime scene and the body.

There was no pool of blood and the witch's wrists were slit and that was where the similarities ended. The victim had been beaten prior to death, her face and body covered in bruises and lacerations. Nate had told them that the victim had a concussion, a ruptured spleen, and fractured ribs. The killer had beaten her before he murdered her and Hermione couldn't imagine the terror the witch had felt before her death. It made her sick and it strengthened Hermione's resolve to catch him.

"He's sending us a message," Malfoy said, taking a step beside her.

"We need to find out who he is," Hermione said, trying to control her anger. She had just been informed that the victim's wand was found downstairs. "He's starting to spiral out of control, which means that he won't wait another month before he kills again."

They watched the forensic team collect the samples and canvas the crime scene. Nate was working on the preliminary findings, while Harry and Ron were talking to the neighbours outside.

"We need to ban the communal wards. People are going to have to return to warding their houses themselves," he said.

"The killer has to be someone that works on Goldstein's team. Nothing else makes sense."

Draco nodded. "I'll go check on Potter and Weasley. If we're done here, we can start going through the employee records and take a closer look."

"Sounds good."

Hermione was about to go talk to Nate when Malfoy paused by the door. "It's good to have you back, Granger."

She nodded as he walked away. Her first day back had been so busy that it had pushed everything out of her mind. The victim was Kate Reiling, an American muggleborn that had been in London for the past six months. She was a professor that was working on a thesis with the Arithmancy division at the Ministry. Reiling was staying at a flat that was part of the communal ward network, a house that their government had provided. Hermione didn't want to think of the political pressure that now pressed on this team.

Nate was busy talking to someone else, so Hermione took the time to observe the wards. She had read over the formula that Goldstein had sent them. She understood Harry and Malfoy's concern, but Hermione also knew that there were some wizards and witches that didn't know the first thing about wards. The communal wards did offer them protection, but there was no screening process. There also hadn't been any upgrades to the wards since Perry first created them.

The wards were intact, an expected finding. The magical signature of the killer was accepted, also an expected finding. There was no evidence of forced entry, just like at the previous crime scenes. Suddenly an idea dawned on her. Was it possible that a tenant from another community could access the wards in this one? The information she received from Anthony didn't touch on it. Hermine pulled a pen and paper from her bag and wrote Goldstein a letter. She would have to send it when she returned to the Ministry.

"Granger, we're good to leave," Malfoy said.

She nodded and they both apparated to the Ministry.

* * *

Hermione took the floo home. She was relieved when Goldstein wrote back and told her that each community had separate communal wards. If someone had opted into the Hogsmeade communal wards, they couldn't access the homes of those who had opted in for the service in Diagon Alley. She had been worried that they would have to go through every tenant that used Goldstein's wards, but thankfully their search was restricted to his staff.

Harry had popped in to give them a quick update on the interviews. It didn't seem like Reiling was aware that she was being stalked, which Hermione found stranger. Stalkers usually thrived on preying on their victims' minds something that she had told Malfoy weeks ago. She was relieved when it was finally time to go home. She desperately needed a good night's sleep to process the information she had discovered today.

But when Hermione stepped out of the green flames, Anthea and Ginny greeted her from the couch. It was one of those situations where she wished she could run into her room and pretend not to see them, but she couldn't without being rude. Her flatmate was drinking tea, while Anthea had a glass of red wine. The two girls stopped talking suddenly, which did not bode well for Hermione.

"Just the person that we wanted to talk to," Ginny said, making room for her to join them.

Hermione reluctantly put her jacket and work bag away before joining her best friends. The only thing she wanted to do right now was crawl into bed. Today had been a long day and she knew that tomorrow would be just as busy. Her flatmate would not accept that as an excuse and would pester her until Hermione joined them. Ginny handed her a wine glass as soon as she sat down and filled it.

"I'm surprised you're just getting in now," Anthea said.

Hermione took a sip of her merlot. "Work has been very busy. I don't think I'll have an ordinary day until the killer is caught."

"Are you any closer?" Ginny asked.

"You know that I can't talk about it outside of work."

"Well, let's talk about something that you _can_ talk about," Anthea interrupted. "Why didn't you tell me about your fight with Ron? I had to hear from Ginny today that you were so upset that _you missed work_."

Hermione didn't say anything right away. She glared at Ginny who looked back at her with equal fierceness. It wasn't that she had meant to keep it a secret, the Daily Prophet had reported their fight for Merlin's sake. When she was upset, the last thing she wanted to do was talk about what had upset her.

"We're just concerned about you. It's unlike you to miss work because you're upset," Ginny said.

She chuckled darkly. "I should have known this was a bloody intervention. I would have buried myself in work, except that would have meant seeing Ron."

"This is going to sound insensitive, but why is this bothering you so much?" Anthea asked.

Hermione sighed. "Even though Ron and I were broken up, I thought we would get back together eventually. When I pictured my future, he was in it. Little redheaded, frizzy-haired children running around, officially being a part of the Weasley family, and being with a man that understands what being friends with Harry is like," she said. "When Ron told me he was going to propose to Parkinson, he shattered that future as well as broke my heart. I needed time to grieve and process what had happened and start imagining a new future."

The Healer bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

"I get it," Ginny said in a small voice and both girls turned to stare at her. "I won't lie and say that part of me wishes that Harry would wake up one day and give me another chance, but we all know that he won't leave Cho."

"Really?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"I don't talk about it because there's no point," the redhead shrugged.

Ginny hadn't talked about Harry since Hermione had moved in a few years ago. She had dated several men since she and Harry had broken up, but nothing had ever stuck. Many times she had wondered if Ginny still had feelings for Harry, but she had left it alone. If her flatmate wanted to confide in her, then she would.

"Let's take a break from our pathetic unrequited loves and hear about your love life," Hermione deflected, hoping that the intervention was over.

Anthea's lips quirked into a shy smile. "I started seeing someone last week. It's still new, so I want to keep it private for now. I really like him though."

The conversation changed to lighter topics and she was grateful for it. Hermione had missed these nights with Ginny and Anthea and was grateful that they had forced her into it tonight. Since she had been assigned to the task force, Hermione hadn't been able to spend as much time with them. From the sounds of it, Ginny was also busy with a series of away games and Anthea was getting an influx of patients from a wizarding virus that was going around. It wasn't long until the girls called it a night.

Hermione walked the Healer to the fireplace and gave her a hug.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Anthea asked.

"I am now. Thank you for checking up on me."

"That's what friends are for," she said before grabbing floo powder, tossing it in the fire, and disappearing into the roaring green flames.

Turning around, she was surprised to see that Ginny had already cleaned up and had disappeared into her bedroom. Hermione was going to talk to her about Harry, but it would have to wait for another time. Rubbing her eyes, she walked to the bathroom and started getting ready for bed.

* * *

Draco looked at the employee files in front of him. Granger had already started her pile. The first thing they had done was exclude the female employees. That had been the easy part. Looking at the first document, Draco had no idea what he was looking for and the information provided was lacking. It gave the basic information on when the person was hired, their role within the company, but that was it.

The killer could be anyone. Thankfully, the new forensic technician wasn't as much of an idiot as the previous one had been. He had done Granger's spell and they had been able to isolate the killer's footprint on the carpet. Granger had explained to him the mechanics of how they could determine the killer's height and weight from the footprint but he had tuned her out.

The only thing he had retained from her ten minute lecture was that the killer was approximately a hundred and eighty-three centimetres tall and seventy-seven kilos. It was great to finally have this information, but the files in front of him were useless in that regard. Neither the height nor weight was listed.

"Granger, we should just go and talk to these people. There's no way of knowing if these suspects match the height and weight we're looking for. It's only thirty people. If Potter and Weasley take half, we only have fifteen to check out."

She sighed. "You're right. It'll be a waste of time if we pour our time and effort into a potential suspect only to find out that they don't match the description."

"I'm always right," he said with a smile.

"If that's what you need to tell yourself to fall asleep at night."

They packed up their things and headed towards the task force office. Weasley and Potter were still looking for the ritual that the killer planned on doing. Because things were still tense between the redhead and Granger, the two sets of partners split up. Potter and Weasley worked in the office, while he and Granger worked in her old office. It was only a five minute walk from the conference room, better than Draco's cubicle. He didn't pause when they reached the door and he strode in, not caring if Granger followed him or not. He was starting to tire of the Golden Trio's drama if he was being honest.

"Potter," Draco said, handing him a piece of parchment. "We need to split up the employees and interview them. Here are the people that you're going to check out."

His former partner looked at the list and nodded. "Ron and I aren't getting anywhere on the ritual anyway. You guys have your camera?"

"We do," Granger said from the doorway.

"Let's find this bastard," Draco said, giving Potter a nod and following Granger out of the room.

"I think that Andersen should be a suspect. Not only does he fit the specifications, something seemed off about him when we interviewed him," Hermione said over lunch two days later.

* * *

It had taken them a few days to track down, talk to the employees, and verify the alibis and information the suspects gave them. It was tiring work and Hermione was looking forward to holing up in the office for a couple of days and just going over paperwork. Hermione could tell that her partner felt the same. He was quieter and seemed less patient with the suspects today.

Malfoy finished chewing his food before answering. "I agree. I also didn't like the look of Perry."

"He's only a hundred and sixty pounds and he has an alibi."

"Yeah, working at the Ministry, I know. There's just something off about him. He kept staring at you."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You know, some men do find me attractive. It's not such a foreign concept."

"That's not what I meant," Malfoy said, rolling his eyes, "Of course you're attractive, but it was the way he was staring at you. I don't know how to describe it, forget it."

"Are you jealous?" she joked and was rewarded when he almost choked on a piece of chicken.

"Jealous? I always knew that you were delusional, Granger. I think we should look into Dylans and Hoffman. They match the criteria too."

A comfortable silence stretched between them. He was right: Dylans, Hoffman, and Andersen were the only suspects that they didn't cross off their list. Hermione thought about Perry. It was impossible for it to be him. He was in the logs, his coworker had vouched for him, and he didn't seem like the type of person to be their killer. Perry was attractive with his long, brown hair and the way he talked... It was clear that he was intelligent and could hold a good conversation. His glasses were adorable, making him look a little bit like Clark Kent. Hermione had almost pointed that out to Malfoy until she realized that he wouldn't understand the reference. The way the killer targeted and controlled his victims made Hermione think that he most likely felt powerless in his own life. Perry definitely looked like he was both powerful and in control.

"I agree. We should meet up with Harry and see what they've found."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This past week has been quite busy and I didn't get as much time to write as I would like, hence the shorter chapter. I'm also going to be honest. I'm not sure how I'm feeling about this story and I'm wondering if I should put it on hold for now. This is my first Auror story, so I'm kind of just winging it.
> 
> Are you guys enjoying the story so far? How is the pace? Let me know what you think, it'll help me decide on whether or not to take a break from the story. Thanks :).


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione looked at the sorry selection of sandwiches and tried to pick between the turkey bacon or the chicken salad. The past few days had been spent going over the latest murder and starting to interview the family, neighbours, coworkers, and friends. Hermione was starting to get into a rhythm now that this was her second crime scene. Ron and Hermione avoided each other, which helped her focus on the case at hand. The lady behind the till was frowning at her, the people standing behind her starting to mutter impatiently as they waited for her to order.

"Granger, if you don't pick a sandwich now, I'll pick one for you," Malfoy said, leaning closer. "The egg salad."

"Fine. I'll take the turkey bacon," she said paying and shuffling over as she waited for her sandwich. When her partner joined her with both of their lunches, she glared at him. "I hate eggs."

He smirked. "I know you do."

They made their way to the back of the cafeteria, taking the last available empty table. The chatter was loud to the point of being distracting, something that she never noticed at the restaurants Malfoy dragged her to. She took a bite of her sandwich and grimaced. The bread was dried out and the lettuce was wilted. The only redeemable thing about it was the bacon. She missed the food from those restaurants too.

"I can't believe that I used to like the food here. I blame you for my new picky habits," Hermione said.

"You liked the food here? You were in worse shape than I thought. Now if only you could trade in your terrible clothes for better ones…"

"There is nothing wrong with what I wear!"

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "There's nothing right about them."

They sat in silence and she was surprised when Nate joined them. She had only talked to the medical examiner a handful of times and had mixed feelings about him. His comment to Ron still rang in her head, but she ignored it and smiled at him.

"I'm surprised to see you guys eat here," Nate commented.

Malfoy huffed, almost finished his sandwich. "I blame Granger, it was her decision."

"I was too hungry to go somewhere else for food, although I am regretting that decision."

Nate laughed. "The food here isn't that bad."

Hermione and Malfoy exchanged a discrete look and she had to stifle her laugh. It was strange eating in the cafeteria because it was the only time you saw people from the other departments. The stares were nothing new but it was annoying. The lack of attention was an upside to eating outside the Ministry that she had come to cherish. She could tell that it also bothered Malfoy because he inched away from her and looked bored. Hermione had learned that his 'bored' look was a defence mechanism when he felt judged. Nate was oblivious to all of this and if it weren't for him, Hermione would have already left with Malfoy.

"Where did you go to school?" Hermione asked.

"I was homeschooled," he said between bites, "I already know you both went to Hogwarts. How was it?"

"Hogwarts is still the place that feels like home to me. It was magical, full of adventure and the library was to die for," she said smiling. "Although I've probably read all the books there."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows that it's a magical place, Granger."

"It's a muggle expression. It's used to describe wonder or amazement at something. Mostly because muggles don't believe that magic is real," Nate said.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"I'm a half-blood. That won't be a problem, will it?" he said, his blue eyes glancing at Malfoy.

Her partner stood up. "Of course not. I should go talk to Potter. I'll see you upstairs, Granger."

Hermione watched Malfoy leave. She felt guilty for the bad memories that Nate brought up and knew that her partner would be in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Hermione felt protective of him after he had defended and supported her this past week against Ron. She wanted to do the same for him but knew that he would feel uncomfortable with it. Hermione wasn't oblivious to the way that people avoided walking too close to him or the glares that followed him. It was a shame that they didn't see the person that Malfoy had become.

"What's his deal?" Nate asked.

She shrugged and picked at the last of her food. Her gaze was drawn to his bag. There was a piece of paper or parchment – she wasn't close enough to see – and noticed the symbol on it. It looked familiar but Hermione couldn't place it. "What is that?"

He looked at the symbol she pointed at and blushed. "It's for a dating service. I don't use it anymore, haven't for the past month – "

"I was just curious, it looked familiar that's all," Hermione said glancing at her watch. "I should return. Malfoy and I are supposed to interview someone shortly. I'll see you later."

Nate looked uncomfortable as she gathered her garbage and left the table. She tossed it and waved to one of the girls that used to work in her department.

As soon as she entered the conference room, Hermione shoved him. "Don't ever leave me alone with him again, Malfoy."

He raised an eyebrow, gave her a nod before looking back down at his notes.

* * *

Harry stared at the reports. There was still no DNA evidence, no magical signature, and their leads had gone nowhere. He stared at the picture of the latest victim, guilt crushing him that her death had brought them no closer to capturing her killer. Her murder had been the most gruesome yet and it was their fault. That stupid article haunted him. Harry wasn't sure whether the press conference was the right decision or a mistake. It saved him and his team's jobs for now, but at what cost? Not that it mattered anyway, Hendry was threatening to close the task force and let the Americans take over the case. Apparently, they had more experience with serial killers over there.

The only good thing these days was that things between him and Cho had improved. Harry hadn't realized how tense things had been until the tension disappeared. No more slamming doors, cold shoulders, and miscommunications. Cho laughed at one of his stories yesterday and Harry realized that he had forgotten the sound of it. It filled him with unease at how bad their problems had gotten. He had wanted to talk to her about it, but she brushed it off.

He looked up and saw Hermione give Draco a playful shove and the small smiles on their faces. It had been a gamble pairing them and he was happy that it had paid off. This was his first attempt at setting people up and he would deny it if anyone ever accused him of playing matchmaker. It was for his friends' own good, after all.

Draco lived a solitary, lonely life. He didn't think that he deserved a family, despite working his arse off trying to clear the Malfoy name. Hermione thought that she still loved Ron, but Harry knew that she was clinging to the familiar. He didn't blame her. It was difficult to find honest partners with the reputations they all had. Harry thought that Draco and Hermione might be good for each other, both intellectual, caring, headstrong, and stubborn. But if they only came out of this case as friends, then the turbulent start of their task force would have been worth it.

As Harry grabbed Ron for their interview, he admitted to himself that he missed working with Draco. They had been partners for the past three years and had the same background. It was easier than working with Ron or Hermione, something he never thought he would happen.

* * *

Hermione knocked on the door and heard the footsteps from inside the office. Malfoy was staring at the ground. She had been right about his mood, he had been cold and withdrawn since Nate made that comment.

"Thank you for letting us in, Miss Addy," she said when the victim's coworker opened the door.

The girl's eyes were red. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can be here. It's too hard, if only I had –"

"There's nothing that you could have done," Hermione said, placing a hand on the friend's arm. "It is not your fault. Do you mind if we go through her things without your presence?"

"No, go ahead. Here are the keys. You can drop them off at reception when you're done," Miss Addy said before rushing out.

They entered the cosy office and she took pictures of every corner of the room. Malfoy headed straight to the bookshelf and started going through the shelves. Hermione took a seat at Reiling's desk and searched through the contents strewn across it. It was filled with project notes and work memos. All of the exchanges between the victim and her co-workers seemed to be professional and pleasant. Malfoy had moved onto the filing cabinet.

"Malfoy, about what Nate said… The people who know you realize that blood doesn't matter to you anymore," Hermione said, trying to test the waters. She had never tried to comfort him and didn't know which tactic to use.

"It's fine."

"It's clearly not if you're acting this way, Draco," she said, setting down the papers she had been reading. "What's going on?"

His eyes widened at the use of his first name, but he didn't comment on it. "It makes me angry that all of the work that I've done since the war ended has made little impact on the public's opinion of me."

"The public's opinion doesn't matter, it's constantly changing."

He snorted. "Spoken like a war hero."

"Don't take out your anger on me. From the time we were eleven until now, the papers and the public have loved me and hated me. There is a reason why I check all my mail before opening it, I have been on the receiving end of hate mail more times than I can count."

"It's still not the same. I have dedicated my life since the war to helping the public and I still get those snarky comments. What's the point?"

She stood up from the chair and walked towards him. She grabbed his hand and gave him a small smile. "Don't do it for them, do it for you. If you don't forgive yourself or think you deserve a good life, then you've lost the battle," Hermione said. "You're a good man. I don't think I've told you that yet."

"You haven't. Thanks, it's just difficult when you deal with ignorance day in and out," he said.

Hermione knew that he wasn't there yet, but hopefully one day, he would be able to forgive himself for what he did during the war and move on. It felt like they were all healing in their own way from it. They were all hurt in different ways, forced to deal with a darkness that seemed like it would smother them. Hermione still had nightmares from those days and she knew that Harry did too. It didn't happen as often now but every so often, she woke up drenched in sweat and clutching her left arm.

"What else do you do? It sounds like you were talking about more than being an Auror," Hermione said going back to the desk.

"I own several businesses. Have you heard of the Brewing Cauldron?"

She looked up at him. "You're the owner? The Brewing Cauldron is St. Mungo's biggest supplier."

"St. Mungo's needed more potions after the war and a lot of companies had gone out of business at that point. I wanted to make a difference so I found gifted potioneers around Europe and created the company," Malfoy said, looking pleased that she recognized his business. "I knew that the public wouldn't take kindly to using my potions if they knew I owned it, so I chose someone else to be the public face of the company."

"Why are you an Auror? The look on your face proves to me that you love running those two companies more than doing this."

"I didn't want my name to ruin the companies, but I also wanted to change the public's opinion of me. Being vetted by the Ministry and working actively against Dark wizards and witches help with that… or so I thought."

Hermione was about to answer but forgot what she was going to say when she pulled out a paper. The blood drained from her face. "Malfoy, come here. I found something."

"What is it?" he asked, taking the sheet from her, "I don't understand the significance. MagicMatch is a dating service, people use it all the time."

"I have seen this symbol before. At Padma's house, Pavarti's house, and now here? What if this is how he chooses the victims?"

He glanced back down at the letter. "But what about the communal wards? It's not a coincidence that all of the victims were a part of that service."

"Goldstein was right, it's a popular idea because people want to defend their homes. It's a coincidence, a distractor."

"This would explain how he picks them and how he knows where they live. Wasn't Padma in a relationship?" Malfoy asked.

"They were, but what if she had been matched with the killer before? Maybe it's the reason why he was more aggressive with her than the previous victims, they had a history," she suggested, biting her lip.

"Let's tell Potter and Weasley. If this turns out to be true, then the victims would have matched with the killer –"

Hermione finished the sentence for him. "And the killer would be the common name between each witch. We might even be able to find out who his next target it."

They rushed out of the office and handed the keys to the receptionist before heading to the lift to return to their section of the Ministry. While they waited for it, another idea dawned on Hermione. Their medical examiner used that dating service. Was it possible…? No, she shook her head of the thought but the suspicion refused to leave her. He was used to working with corpses, was intelligent but ignored (as no one wanted to be near dead bodies), and he was attractive. He fit the profile.

"Are you okay?" Malfoy asked when they stepped onto the lift.

She forced a smile. "I'm fine."

* * *

Harry returned home and was surprised to find the house empty. Cho was usually back at this time, the smell of dinner was the first thing to greet him.

"Cho?"

There was no answer, so he shrugged off his robes and went upstairs to change. He was feeling optimistic about work today. Draco and Hermione had found another lead, one that seemed promising. Harry didn't fully support Hermione's theory. There was something that they were still missing. He agreed with Draco. The wards were involved somehow.

He ran down the stairs back to the kitchen and froze. On the counter, there was a note and the velvet box that he had hidden in his wardrobe. With shaking hands, he grabbed the parchment and started reading.

_Harry,_

_I found this cleaning today. I have dreamed about marrying you since I was in Hogwarts. Even though we parted ways back then, I always knew that we would find our way back together again. We have had glorious years together and I am so proud of how much you've accomplished and grown in that time. You are my best friend, the person that knows me the best._

_I'm probably making the worst decision of my life right now, but I can't marry you. I know that things have turned around lately, but when I found this ring, I wasn't ecstatic or happy. All I felt was this heavy pit in my stomach. The future that I imagined has disappeared and I think that tells us both that maybe we aren't meant to be after all. I think we owe it to each other to take some time and figure ourselves out. I strongly believe that if we're meant to be, we'll find our way back to each other again._

_I know that I should have told you this in person, but I know that you would have tried to convince me to stay and I would have let you. This is the best thing for the both of us and I hope that one day you thank me for it._

_All my love,_

_Cho_

Harry crumpled the parchment and threw it as hard as he could further into the room. He turned towards the wall and punched it repeatedly until his hands were bloody and bruised. He couldn't think, the anger and hurt threatening to overwhelm him. After everything they had been through, she had just walked away without a fight. They had made plans, what was he supposed to do with that? Is this how Hermione felt when Ron had told her they were finished for good?

Storming towards the fireplace, he grabbed a handful of floo powder and disappeared into the fireplace, emerging into Hermione's flat. The shock of seeing Ginny Weasley froze him and all of his anger evaporated, leaving him feeling broken and alone.

The redhead leapt up from the couch. "Hermione isn't here right now, but you're welcome to wait."

"It's fine, I'll talk to her at work tomorrow," he said turning around.

"Harry, if you need to talk, I'm here," Ginny said glancing at his knuckles. "At least let me heal your hands."

He didn't respond but took a seat on the sofa and let her heal him. She didn't say anything afterwards and headed towards the kitchen. Harry recognized the sound of her making tea, the banging of glass and the water poured into the kettle. He considered her offer. They hadn't talked seriously since Fred's funeral, the day that they decided to part ways. The thought of returning to his empty house kept him rooted to the spot. He could feel the tears come and he tried to hide it when the redhead returned.

"Cho and I broke up," Harry blurted out and before he knew it, he was telling Ginny about everything that had happened once the war was over including running into Cho and the great and worst parts of their relationship, and how much he missed her already. Ginny listened quietly, the sky darkening as evening turned into night.

* * *

Hermione was walking out of the bookstore when it happened. A stranger had bumped into her, making her purchases fall to the sidewalk, and he didn't have the audacity to even help her pick them up! Huffing, she collected her things and furrowed her brow when she saw a piece of parchment on the ground. Had it been there before? She quickly opened it as it was freezing outside and she wanted to get home. Her brown eyes scanned the contents several times and tried to register the picture that had been included. Before she broke down in the street, Hermione grabbed her wand and apparated.

"I'm going to get a restraining order, I think you're getting a little too obsessed with me," Malfoy said, walking into the room.

She collapsed into his chest, shaking as she sobbed. His arms wrapped around her tightly. "Hermione, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Her partner grabbed the letter and photo that was in her hand and cursed.

_Since you think you know me so well, I have a little game for you to play. I have taken dear Anthea. You have twenty-four hours to find her or she meets the same end as all of those other girls. Have you found all eleven of them yet? I didn't think so... See I know all about you and your team, I know what makes you tick and you don't know a thing about me. Your time starts as soon as this letter turns to ash. - The Stranger_

The parchment caught fire, the ash falling to the floor. Malfoy grabbed his wand, making sure not to let go of Hermione, and cast a Patronus to Potter. "Come to my flat immediately, something has happened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone that left me such kind and encouraging comments last chapter, it was exactly what I needed to push through and get this written. I hope you enjoyed this chapter :).


	10. Chapter 10

The dripping sound was the first thing that Anthea noticed when she woke up. Her head was pounding and it hurt to open her eyes because of the fluorescent light flickering above her head. Her whole body jolted into action when she remembered the knock on the door. There had been a hooded man standing in the doorway, his body poised as if ready to strike... and he did strike. That was the last thing that she remembered before everything went black.

Forcing herself to ignore her headache, she opened her eyes slightly. Anthea took a deep breath in to calm down but coughed as she inhaled dust. Looking around, she realized that she was in a nondescript basement. She scanned the area for an escape and her gaze settled on the cellar doors. Anthea raised her arm, then froze when she heard a clanking sound. Her wrists were shackled to the wall. Fear seized her and she panicked, trying everything she could to escape her restraints. She didn't know how long she pulled at them before she gave up.

Anthea was about to release a sob as her hopeless situation sunk in, but she was scared of drawing her captor's attention. She didn't know where he was. Every sound was pronounced, leaving her to wonder if he was behind them or if it was just the house itself. Tears streamed down her face and she hoped that Hermione had noticed that she was taken. Her best friend was the best at her job. Hermione would find her... right?

Minutes or hours later, footsteps thundered down the stairs. Anthea made herself as small as possible and wished that this was all just a bad dream, that at any moment, she would wake up and be in her bedroom. Why hadn't she checked the peephole at her door? Why had she felt safe to open the door to a stranger? She held her breath as the hooded figure entered her line of vision. Her heart raced in her chest as she wondered what he was going to do to her. Why did he take her? He walked up to her and crouched so that they were at eye level.

He pulled back his hood. "Hello Anthea, it's been awhile. We have _so much_ to catch up on."

* * *

When Harry walked into Draco's flat, he paused as he took in the scene in front of him. The blond had his arms wrapped around Hermione and he was rubbing her back while she trembled, her head against his chest. It was an intimate moment and Harry felt awkward for intruding – before remembering that _they_ had summoned him. He was contemplating on how to draw their attention when Draco spotted him. He whispered something to Hermione and they released each other.

"Did you tell Weasley?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded. "I sent him a Patronus as soon as I received yours. What happened?"

"The killer sent us a message. He has taken one of Granger's friends and we have twenty-four hours to find her before she dies," he said.

"Where's the message?"

Hermione straightened up and wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve. "An auto-destruct letter. I just had enough time to show Malfoy what it said before it caught fire."

Receiving a message from the killer broke the pattern. It was suspicious and two questions popped into his head: was it a copycat and if not, what had changed? Draco disappeared into the kitchen and returned with tea. It didn't seem like the time for something so trivial, but it was a good idea because Hermione still looked like she was in shock. He grabbed a steaming cup of earl grey and sat down.

"Did he send you an owl?" Harry asked.

His question seemed to startle Hermione. "No. I leaving Flourish and Blotts when someone ran into me. My books went flying and the person that had run into me didn't stop to help. It wasn't until I picked everything up that I found the letter."

Draco cursed. "Did you see what he looked like?"

"No, it took me by surprise. I think he was wearing a cloak but I can't be sure."

"What did the message say?" Harry asked.

"Since you think you know me so well, I have a little game for you to play. I have taken dear Anthea. You have twenty-four hours to find her or she meets the same end as all of those other girls. Have you found all eleven of them yet? I didn't think so... See I know all about you and your team, I know what makes you tick and you don't know a thing about me. Your time starts as soon as this letter turns to ash," Draco said.

Harry repeated the words over and over trying to understand the message. Since you think you know me so well was a jab at their press conference. The killer was changing the game to throw them off, to regain control of the situation. That's why he was playing this game. He wanted to throw their ineptitude in their face… eleven murders. The way that he highlighted it made it significant. He was counting the kills, but why? To see how many he was able to murder before he was caught? Or was he aiming for a specific number? I know all about your team is the reason why Anthea was chosen. The healer was one of Hermione's best friends, a woman that he had only met a handful of times. She was an attractive, feisty witch and Harry hoped that she was alright.

"Where is Ron?" Harry muttered. "How long ago did the letter catch fire?"

"Twenty minutes ago. He's killed eleven women. How were we able to miss so many?" Draco asked while Harry marked down the time.

"What number of kills would he want to reach for?"

"Thirteen," Hermione said. She still looked pale, but she had stopped shaking and there was a fire in her eyes that hadn't been there when he first arrived. It was one of the reasons that Harry respected her, she was always able to pull herself together when it counted. "It is an important magical number, equally as important as seven. This information will help us narrow our search for what ritual he might be after."

Draco nodded. "That makes sense. Where are we with the matchmaking service?"

"They won't allow us to see their client list until we have a warrant. I have sent in my request and I'm just waiting to hear back on it," Harry said. "While we wait, let's go to Anthea's flat and see if he's left anything behind."

The blond walked down the corridor and Hermione stood up to put away the tea set. She had barely touched her cup. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but he couldn't think of the right words to say. Hermione was the person that he interacted the least with on the team and it bothered him that he felt awkward. She had always been a sister to him. Harry helped her clean up and once they had were finished, he decided to toss caution to the wind. Harry pulled her into a hug. It was the right call because she relaxed into him.

"We will find Anthea, I promise."

"You can't promise me something like that," she said, her voice muffled in his shirt. "I'm scared for her."

"We will find the bastard. He made a mistake when he chose to disrupt the peace that we worked so hard for, that we bled for. He will pay for taking Anthea," Harry said, releasing her.

* * *

They contacted the forensic team and Hermione was surprised to see how quickly they appeared. It was the night crew, people that she had never seen before. Harry had filled them in on the situation while Malfoy stood beside her. It was both irritating and considerate, the way that Harry and Malfoy were treating her. They each showed their support in their own way and she knew that she could count on them. They had given her the strength and the determination to push past her fear and now she was focused on the task at hand: finding Anthea.

She watched as the team ran through the protocols, casting spell after spell to reveal evidence. It was almost like watching a light show, the way the different hues made the room glow for half a second. Hermione bit her lip, hoping that this was the moment that the killer had made a mistake. If Anthea fought back and made him bleed, they could figure out who the killer was.

They found out that her friend had been on shift today and had gone home after six pm, which meant that she was either kidnapped en route or at home. It took an hour for the team to complete their tests and they pulled Harry aside to tell him the findings. She could still read her friend like a book and Hermione knew that they hadn't found anything.

"I think we should have a look ourselves," Harry suggested. "I don't know what we're looking for, but hopefully we find something."

Hermione walked through the flat and had trouble breathing as she took in the details. Nothing was out of place. She could picture Anthea walking into the room and telling her that it was all a bad dream, and of course, she wasn't being held hostage. It was one of those moments that she prayed that there had been a huge misunderstanding, but Anthea never appeared.

After inspecting every inch of her home, the brunette knew that the last place the healer had been was in the kitchen. Carrots and broccoli were left abandoned on the cutting board. She opened the oven and found a raw, marinated chicken waiting to be cooked. The only odd thing was that the knife was missing. Hermione checked everywhere for it but its location remained a mystery. She brought it up to the boys.

"He had access to this flat as well," Harry said. "There's no sign of forced entry or a struggle."

Hermione frowned. "She isn't a part of Goldstein's warding network. I warned her about it."

"She also knew the killer, then. She let him inside," Malfoy said.

Hermione walked to her friend's desk and sat down. There was a picture of her and Anthea giggling and dancing, oblivious to the camera. Ginny had taken that picture on one of their outings and it brought a sad smile to her face. Would they have another girls' night? The desk did not yield any clues and Malfoy signalled for her to join him in the living room. He was reading a MagicMatch letter.

"Guess who Anthea was seeing?" he said.

"Who?" Harry asked, joining them.

"Nathanial Ward," Malfoy said.

Hermione took a look at the letter. "I knew that I had a bad feeling about him."

"Let's not jump to conclusions until we've interrogated him," the blond said. "We need to keep an open mind if we want to find her. Where is Weasley?"

Harry sighed. "I don't know. I'll send him a letter, maybe something's come up."

* * *

Ron was not having a good day. He had reached out to Mr and Mrs Parkinson after realizing that he wanted to propose to Pansy. She hadn't been close to her parents since the war ended. There were several fights about blood purity and the expectations that she was supposed to meet as their only daughter. The words arranged marriage had been tossed around before Pansy finally had enough and walked out of their lives. Although she claimed that she was better off without them, Ron could see the sadness in her eyes whenever they visited the Burrow or saw a family when they were out and about. Pansy loved her parents and he wanted to bring them together despite their complex issues.

Pansy told him that she resented them for raising her to be a Death Eater's daughter. Etiquette lessons were shoved down her throat and the stories of the glory days (Voldemort's first uprising) was the topic of discussion at every social function. It had been drilled into her since she was born.

When their relationship had become serious, it had taken Ron weeks to convince Pansy to meet Harry. She thought that Harry hated her for offering him up to Voldemort during the Final Battle. It was true that his best mate didn't love his choice in girlfriends, but he managed to convince Harry to give her a shot. It wasn't until Cho pulled him aside at dinnertime and explained Pansy's point of view that Ron fully understood where his girlfriend was coming from.

"Are you ready?" he asked when she joined him in the sitting room. Pansy shook her head and flattening out her dress. "They love you. It will be okay, you'll see."

"My family isn't like yours. They never read me a bedtime story or kissed my cuts when I was a child. My mother was off with the other pureblood bitches and my father was working. Draco, Blaise, Daphne, and I raised ourselves," Pansy said quietly.

"Well if it doesn't go well, then we leave and chalk it up as a bad idea," Ron said.

Together, they apparated to the gates that led to Pansy's childhood home - leaving at exactly the same time Harry's Patronus arrived, missing it completely.

As soon as they landed, his jaw dropped. Her house wasn't as large as Malfoy Manor, but it was just as grand. With an ease of someone who had grown up with such luxury, Pansy barely glanced at the house and walked through the gate. He followed her, suddenly terrified that Pansy's parents wouldn't approve of him. He should have bought new dress robes like Pansy had suggested. Even though he had the money to buy a new pair, his current ones were still in relatively good condition and he didn't see the need to. Now, he understood why his girlfriend had hinted at it.

She knocked on the door and a house elf opened up, her eyes widening at seeing Pansy. The elf stuttered and led them through the winding hallways until they were shown into the dining room. There was a long table that seated at least twenty people with four spots prepared for them and floating candles lit up the room. It was rather neat but his admiration for his surroundings was interrupted when her parents walked through the door.

Ron wasn't sure what he was expecting. They hadn't seen their daughter in eight years, so a warm greeting would have made sense. If he hadn't talked to his own mum for that long, she would have scooped him up and crushed him in a hug before forcing him to eat at least two full plates of food. Ron snuck a look at Pansy in the corner of his eye and saw that she was nervous. She shifted her weight to the other foot as she waited to see what her parents would do. A full minute passed as they all looked at each other before Mr Parkinson cleared his throat.

"Pansy, it is nice to see you. Thank you for arranging this, Mr Weasley," he said before gesturing for them to take a seat at the table.

He knew that she was hurt at their reception by the way she lifted her chin like she was preparing for battle. Ron put a hand on the small of her back in a show of support and she gave him a small smile. They all took their seats and the house elves served the first course. They ate in silence, the only sound was the scraping of the utensils on the plates. Mrs Parkinson was observing him like she was waiting for him to fumble with proper table etiquette. Ron was happy that he was able to prove her wrong. Just because his own parents didn't bother with such formality didn't mean that he didn't know how to be a proper gentleman.

"What is it that you do, Mr Weasley?" Mr Parkinson asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Ron waited until he finished chewing before answering. "I am a Hit Wizard at the Ministry."

"I hear that they don't get paid much," Mrs Parkinson commented.

"I'm not sure where you have heard that. I get paid a good salary."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "He has enough money that he doesn't need to work, Mother."

"Is that why you are with him?"

"Excuse me," his fiancée said, while Ron wisely kept silent. "You don't talk to me for eight bloody years because I told you to shove your blood purity up your arse and the first thing you do when you see me is to accuse me of being a golddigger?"

"I was hoping that you had seen some sense. Mr Weasley is not my first choice but he is still worthier than some of the other filth that you have dated in the past," Mrs Parkinson sniffed.

"Instead of focusing on me and my good qualities, maybe we should talk about Pansy instead. Did you know that she has recently been promoted?" Ron said.

He placed his hand on Pansy's thigh hoping that she would stay calm. It seemed like her father genuinely wanted to learn more about his daughter as he leaned in with interest. He was a tall, slender man and Ron knew that was where Pansy got her height from. Mrs Parkinson was a beautiful woman but the haughty look on her face made her look like she had sucked on a sour lemon. It was clear that she got her stubbornness from her mother.

"I wasn't aware you were working," Mr Parkinson said. "What do you do?"

"I am a writer for Witch Weekly."

Mrs Parkinson scoffed. "That trash? I can't believe that my daughter is working. Where did I go wrong with your upbringing?"

"Delilah, enough," Mr Parkinson interrupted. "If your intention tonight was to judge and criticize our daughter, then I suggest that you leave. I have waited for years to right the wrongs that I made as a father and I will not let you ruin the second chance that I have been given."

Pansy's mother looked like she was going reply. Instead, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Daddy, you didn't have to do that."

He smiled sadly. "Yes, I did. I have let her control you for too long. And it was worth it just to hear you call me Daddy again."

They were interrupted by an owl pecking at the window. The house elf retrieved the letter and brought it to Ron. He paled when he saw Harry's penmanship on the letter and quickly read the letter. He stood up and kissed Pansy's cheek.

"I am sorry, but I have to go. There's been a new development in the case. Thank you for having me over, Mr Parkinson," Ron said before turning to Pansy. "Will you be alright?"

She glanced at her father before nodding. "I think we'll just fine."

"Thank you for arranging this, Mr Weasley. And please call me Henry, we are to be family after all," he said with a small smile.

Ron nodded before disappearing out the door, wondering what had happened at work. Too little time had passed for there to be another murder victim.

* * *

Draco knocked on the door three times before he could hear someone moving inside the flat. It hadn't taken them long to find Nate's address and when he opened the door, it was clear that they had woken him up. His hair was sticking up at the back of his head and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Has there been another body?" Nate asked, his voice hoarse.

"You are under arrest for the kidnapping of Anthea Davis and the murder of eleven women. You have the right to remain silent –" Draco said, telling him the rest of his rights.

Potter waved his wand so that Nate was handcuffed with a spell the Ministry had authorized for arrests. The medical examiner complied with them as Potter grabbed their suspect's shoulder and side-apparated him to the Ministry like they had previously agreed. Draco glanced at his watch before following them.

* * *

"Where were you between five and eight yesterday night?" Harry asked.

"I was at my flat cooking dinner," Nate answered. "What is this all about? What do you mean that Anthea has been kidnapped?"

"Was anyone with you?" Draco asked.

He shook his head.

"Do you recognize this woman?" Harry asked as he opened a file and held up Anthea's picture.

Nate looked both irritated and worried if such a combination was possible. "Yes, obviously I know her, I have been asking about her since you arrested me. You said she was kidnapped, do you think that the killer had anything to do with this?"

"What is your relationship with Miss Davis?"

Hermione paced as she watched the interrogation unfold from the adjacent room. Harry had forbidden her from interacting with the medical examiner saying that she was too close to the case. He was a hypocrite. How many times had he broken the rules when someone he loved was threatened? She was itching to get in there, to demand Anthea's location from him. Hermione should have known that something had changed when he joined her and Malfoy for lunch the other day. The answer had been dangling right in front of her and she hadn't done anything about it. Why was he pretending to be so worried about her?

"What did I miss?" Ron said, bursting through the door. "Why is Nate in there?"

"Where have you been? Harry sent a Patronus and a letter," she snapped.

"I was dealing with a personal matter. Can you get me up to speed?"

Hermione quickly filled him in, not wanting to miss a second of the interrogation. Ron started to protest that they had the wrong person and that Nate wasn't a murderer but Hermione tuned him out and focused on the interview at hand. She had to admit that Harry and Malfoy were good at their jobs. They were using different techniques, trying to get a rise out of the medical examiner.

"Anthea is my girlfriend. We have been dating for the past two months."

Harry wrote something down. "How did you meet?"

"We met on MagicMatch. We were exclusive after a few weeks of dating. Please, what has happened to her?" Nate said and she could hear the fear in his voice. Maybe he was a good actor?

"Do you know if she has any enemies?" Malfoy asked.

"No, I don't think so. She seemed to get on with her coworkers and her patients."

Harry and Malfoy asked him for his alibi during the other murders. The only alibi that Nate had that didn't include Anthea was Padma Patil's murder. Hermione wrote the information down intending to check it out when Ron grabbed the information out of her hand.

"I'll go. I realize that you're under a lot of stress but it isn't him," the redhead said, leaving the room.

When Harry and Malfoy were finished with their questions, they joined Hermione. She could see in their faces that they didn't think that Nate was guilty and she had a sinking feeling that they were right. Hermione heard the way that he talked about Anthea. Nate loved her.

"Do you think that the killer is working with someone else?" Malfoy asked.

Hermione shook her head. "None of the crime scenes indicate that there was a second person. We only found two sets of footprints at the last crime scene, Reiling and the killer's."

"If his alibi for Padma's murder checks out, then that means that it's not Nate," Harry said.

"Then we wasted our time following a lead that led us nowhere. Five hours have passed and we haven't found anything!"

Malfoy put his hand on her arm. "Focus, Granger. We're working as fast as we can. It took one hour to explain things to Harry and to dissect the note. Two hours to process Anthea's flat. One hour to find where Nate lived, bring him in, and process him. And we spent an hour interviewing him. We couldn't go any faster than that without compromising the quality of our work."

"What if the killer is hurting her while we're all standing here? We don't know where she's being held or who the killer is," she said blinking away her tears, "I don't know what I would do if I lost her."

"We won't lose her," Harry said. "We'll continue looking at the previous murders. There has to be something that we missed. Can you bring the files in here while we wait for Ron to verify his alibi?"

Before she reached the door, Ron ran into the room with a trail of boxes behind him.

"Nate's alibi checked out. I checked with his two friends that he was at the Leaky with. He was too drunk to apparate so he crashed at his buddy John's flat, which he verified," he said and saw their grim expressions. "All is not lost. The judge gave us the warrant for MagicMatch's records and I went to get the client lists. They were annoyed that it was so early in the morning, so they gave us all of their records instead of the ones that we requested."

Without another word, Harry entered the interrogation room and set Nate free. They exchanged words before they joined the rest of the group in the adjacent room. "I told Nate that he could help us."

Hermione fiddled with her sleeve. "Why were you acting so weird the other day?"

"Anthea was going to tell you that we were dating. I wanted to get to know you because I know that you're her best friend, but I was nervous," Nate said, his eyes strangely bright. "The letter that you saw was the first letter that she sent me."

"Okay," she said, not quite sure how to answer him.

He shrugged. "I'm glad that you interrogated me though, it shows that you're being thorough."

"Enough with the sentimental crap, let's get started," Malfoy said, opening the first MagicMatch box and the rest quickly followed suit.


	11. Chapter 11

"When were you going to tell me that Anthea is missing?" Ginny said, her arms crossed over her chest.

Hermione rummaged through her dresser and grabbed a fresh set of clothes. She had been wearing the same outfit for so long that it actually stunk. She pushed past the redhead and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Ginny continued ranting but Hermione ignored her out as she peeled off her clothes and did a quick cleansing charm. The brunette pulled on the new clothes and opened the door, surprising her flatmate who was still going on about something or the other.

"I am not at liberty to discuss the case with you," Hermione said as she went back into her room to grab her things. "We are doing everything in our power to find her and that's all you are authorized to know."

Ginny barred her from leaving her bedroom. "She is our best friend. It's just like you to shut me out of something like this! Is this why Harry got a Patronus yesterday?"

This made Hermione pause. "What were you doing with Harry?"

"He came over to see you, upset and injured. I offered to listen as a friend and I did."

"Yeah right. Not too long ago, you were telling me that you still had hope that you would end up together. Harry's going through a tough time and he doesn't need your shit in his life right now."

"Thanks, Hermione. I'm glad that you think so kindly of me. I'm not looking for anything more than friendship," she said, before changing the conversation again. "What can I do to help with the search?"

Hermione huffed. "Nothing, Ginny. I'm trying to get to work so that I can do my job and find her. I get what you're going through, but you need to let me go. Can I go now?"

The redhead looked at her for a minute before dropping her arm. Hermione rushed past her, her work bag sliding down her arm as she grabbed the floo powder and disappeared into the green flames. She didn't have time to deal with Ginny, Harry, and personal drama. Finding Anthea was more important and she could feel the hours slipping past too quickly.

When she arrived back at the Ministry, she rushed towards the lift and it felt like an eternity passed before she reached the office. She pushed opened the door to see that Malfoy, Harry, and Ron were still sorting through the documents.

"You didn't sleep," Harry said, sighing.

Hermione took a pile of files and settled close to Malfoy. "My best friend is missing. I'm not sleeping until she is found."

"At least you smell better," the blond said. "It was really touch and go for a little while there."

She ignored him and started reading. Hermione had been relieved when Ron arrived with the MagicMatch stuff but the excitement quickly faded when she had a look at the files. To help give the users more anonymity, each person was given a number to identify who they were. Instead of having 'on May 1, Peter and Victoria matched' it said 'on May 1, user 12852 matched with user 23018'. There was only one sheet that had all the names assigned to the numbers. Hermione made everyone a copy, but it slowed them down as they had to look up each number.

It wasn't enough finding out which number the girls were. They had to find each match (it was sorted by date, not by users) that the victims were a part of and find the common person that had matched with all of them. The problem was the amount of people that used the service. Also, MagicMatch had been created five years ago with the company really taking off three years ago. It was taking too long to sort through everything.

She hoped that Anthea was holding on. They were so close.

* * *

He was worried about Hermione. She was acting like everything was normal and Draco was nervous for when she reached her breaking point. He was a realist and he doubted that they would find her friend in time. There was too much information to sift through, too much they didn't fucking know. He hated how the game changed just as they were starting to close in on the killer. Draco refused to call the murderer by the name the public gave him. The killer was looking for attention, for fame and the blond would not give him that.

Although he had his doubts, there was still the chance they would find her. Potter was working on the case and the man had Felix Felicis shoved up his arse. It had been vexing when they were children and had been adversaries, but it was handy now that they were on the same side. He hoped for his partner's sake that Potter pulled through for them again.

He didn't know what would happen to their team if Anthea wasn't found.

* * *

Ron stared at the number in his file and stared at the lists on the wall. To be on the safe side, he squinted one more time before scrambling up.

"I found it! User 78201 has been linked to the victims and to Anthea," he said, showing the team is file and using his wand to show where that user showed up on each of the lists.

Malfoy searched through the reference sheet before cursing. "I knew that it was him. Didn't I tell you that I had a bad feeling?"

"But his alibi checked out," Hermione said, once she saw the name.

"Just because he signed into the Ministry doesn't mean that he was actually here. The Unspeakables are very secretive about their work. Hermione and I will talk to the Head Unspeakable and see if there's a possibility that Perry could have slipped out unnoticed."

"I'll interview other girls that he matched up with," Malfoy said.

"And I will get a warrant and search his house. We need to find out where he's holding her," Ron said. He noticed that Nate looked a little lost. He was worried about his friend and knew that Nate needed to be a part of this. "Nate, why don't you stick with me. We have a lot of work ahead of us and it'll help me if I have a second set of eyes."

Harry nodded. "Good idea. Send a Patronus if any of you guys have a lead."

Everyone left, each having their jobs to do and feeling the clock ticking. They had twelve hours left.

* * *

Hermione grumbled as she waited for the receptionist to alert the Head Unspeakable to their presence. Before they could interrogate him, Harry and Hermione had to run it past Hendry first. Their boss wasn't content to give them his blessing without an explanation. He wanted a full report since the killer had first reached out to Hermione. She was chomping at the bit to go but she had to wait as Harry went through everything with the man. After almost an hour passed, they were given permission to interrogate the Head Unspeakable.

"I'm going to lose it on someone," Hermione whispered to Harry.

He shook his head. "If you do, Hendry will force me to keep you in the office. I know it's taking more time than we thought, but we're doing the best that we can."

"I know, but I feel like I'm letting her down."

"Never. Anthea knows that you're doing everything in your power to find her."

The receptionist appeared and led them through the winding corridors until they reached an office. This department was nicer than any Hermione had seen so far and she knew that this is where the Ministry allocated most of their funds. The Head Unspeakable was waiting for them, the only person that wasn't wearing a hood to obscure his features. He was balding and walked with a slight limp.

"Thank you for seeing us, Mr Leslie. We have a few questions about one of your employees, Mr Edward Perry," Harry said.

The Head placed his hands on the desk. "I am aware of the nature of your visit. I have checked the records myself and it does say that Edward was working here in the Department during each of the time frames that you have provided me with," he said in a soft voice.

"Is it possible that he could have slipped out unnoticed?"

"Of course it is, Mr Potter. The nature of our work is confidential and shrouded in mystery. I am the only person here that knows the identity of each of my employees. The uniform at work is to wear dark robes and hoods. When the hood is up, it both obscures face features and distorts the voice. I was rather shocked to hear that you knew that Mr Perry was an Unspeakable."

Hermione pulled out a notebook and a biro, scribbling down the information while Harry replied. "We had a source disclose his profession to us and we are not at liberty to discuss their identity. Is there anyone here that can confirm Mr Perry's alibi?"

"No. He is working on a project by himself and does not socialize with the others."

"I believe that is all the questions we have at the moment. Thank you for your time, Mr Leslie. We will be in touch," Harry said and they both got up.

As soon as they left the department, Harry and Hermione quickly made their way back to the office. No one was in, the place a mess as they had all left in a scramble.

"It's been Perry this whole time. How could we have missed it?" Harry said.

"Malfoy thought he was suspicious, but I waved it off. I was too focused on Nate. Ron and Nate are probably checking out his house by now and Malfoy is interviewing Perry's matches," Hermione said. "We need to find out where Perry is holding Anthea. This would be so much easier if we were muggles. We need to find out who his friends are, where he spends his time, his assets, everything."

"We also need to find those past murders. They might be able to give us more information. What we need is a bigger team but we don't have enough staff in our departments," Harry said as he ruffled his hair. "Okay, here's what we'll do. You are going to stay here and be at the centre of everything. We need a map on the wall and we'll start plotting out where the victims were found. I will track down Perry's family and friends. When Draco comes back, tell him to visit Gringotts to get Perry's financial records. I would do it myself but those blasted goblins…"

Hermione stepped towards him and grabbed his face. "I get it. We'll figure this out together. I'll stay here and get things organized. Write me a quick message after each interview so I know where to focus my research on. Do you remember that encryption spell I taught you?"

"I do. Thanks, Hermione."

Harry disappeared out the door. Hermione pulled out her wand and quickly got to work sorting through the office.

The moment that they stepped into the flat, Ron had a feeling that they wouldn't find anything. He knew that Harry and Hermione felt out of depth now that their investigation had taken this turn, but this was what Ron was familiar with. As a Hit Wizard, he knew who his target was and his job was to track them down by any means necessary. This meant that he had enough experience to know that Perry was not a sentimental man.

The sitting area was void of anything personal. There were no pictures, no decorations, and no radio. Perry was a half-blood, so Ron had expected a television but there was no hint of any muggle technology in the flat. Only a bookcase that would have Hermione running towards it. The books looked old and the titles were in Latin. He wrote the names down as best as he could to show Hermione.

"What are we looking for?" Nate asked.

Ron kept looking in every nook and cranny he could find. "We are looking for anything that tells us what kind of person Perry is. What does he like to do in his spare time? Who are his friends? Where does he spend most of his time? It's clear that it's not in this flat."

"What if we don't find her in time?"

"We will find her, Nate. Look through the bathroom and I'll have a peek at the bedroom."

They split up and Ron felt a bit guilty. He hadn't said anything, but it would take more than luck to find Anthea. Too much time had passed and based on the increased violence on the killer's victims, it was unlikely that Anthea had not been hurt at this point. And what kind of freak was Perry anyway? There was nothing in his bedroom and it was so clean it looked like a showhome. Ron was surprised when he found clothes in the closet. All black sweaters and jeans.

He was about to leave the bedroom when he realized he almost missed something vital. On the nightstand, there was a picture of a girl. She looked like she was ten years old. Ron pulled out the picture of Perry from his pocket and compared the two. It looked like they were related. Maybe it was his daughter? Ron grabbed the picture frame and went to find Nate.

"Have you found anything?"

Nate shook his head. "I even looked through the kitchen. It's like he's never stepped foot in this place."

"Or he's meticulous with cleaning. He strikes me as someone who needs absolute control. Let's head back to the office and see if anyone else has found anything."

* * *

Draco glanced at his watch and hoped that the witch showed up soon. He interviewed everyone that Perry had matched with. They were all pretty with varying physical features and were successful in their chosen careers. The witches all said similar things. Perry was very nice, always paid for them. Apparently, there was something mysterious and broody about him. They had only met up with him once or twice before he stopped answering them.

He took a sip of coffee and grumbled that the woman he was supposed to meet with was ten minutes late. Should he stick around? He was saved from making a decision when he saw Potter walking outside the cafe. Draco threw his money on the table and ran to join him.

"What are you doing here?" Potter asked as soon as he caught up to him.

"I was interviewing the women that Perry met up with. I was waiting for the final one, but she's running late. What are you doing?"

"I just finished talking to Perry's cousin. He hasn't talked to him in years, so it was a bust," he said. "Perry's alibi doesn't hold up. The Head Unspeakable said that it was possible for him to duck out and return unnoticed."

Draco cursed. "I should have listened to my instincts. What's our next step?"

"Hermione is back at the office. She's going to stay there and organize everything that we find. I need you to go to Gringotts to ask for Perry's financial records. Maybe he has some property that we're not aware of."

"Do we have a warrant?"

"We do. I would go myself, but the goblins have no love for me."

Draco looked back at the cafe and noticed that the witch still hadn't shown up, so they went to Gringotts together. The process was quick, thanks to his family's personal accountant and the Ministry's warrant (not that they really cared, it was probably the bribe that settled it for them). Potter had looked uncomfortable during the entire thing, which amused Draco to no end. They had the records that they needed and left the bank.

Strange movement caught the blond's eye. Draco squinted as he peered into the crowd and he quickly punched his partner.

"Potter, that's Perry!" he said as he started running.

The killer had caught sight of the duo and started inching away from them before breaking out into a run. Draco ran through the crowd, pushing past people, and ignoring their outrage. Potter was a couple steps behind him. They both had their wands out but were unable to cast anything with Perry running through the crowd of people.

Draco was breathing hard, trying to figure out where Perry would go next. He could hear Harry fall behind. They had slacked on their Auror training since they had started working on the task force, something that they were both regretting as the killer was getting away. Perry slipped into an alley, Potter's curse just narrowly missing its target, and Draco followed the killer.

He hadn't expected an ambush. Perry had hidden behind a dumpster on the left side of the alley, taking Draco by surprise. A red beam of light hit him and everything went black.

* * *

Hermione stared at the board in front of her. After talking to several contacts, she was able to place a name to the girl in the picture. Allison Perry. She was Perry's younger sister. Their parents had died shortly after Edward turned seventeen and he had been responsible for taking care of his sister. His childhood friend had told Harry that Allison had been very sick with a type of blood malediction and she died four years ago.

The door slammed open and Malfoy stormed in, followed by Harry. The green-eyed wizard tossed the Gringotts files on the desk.

"Dare I ask?" she asked as she picked up the top file.

"We saw Perry when we were leaving Gringotts. I was right behind him, but then he stunned me. I have no idea where the fuck he went," Malfoy said, pacing. "We were so close to catching him and I fucked it all up."

Harry sighed. "It happens to the best of us. He's smart and he's quick with a wand. He blocked every curse that I sent at him."

"What if he retaliates against Anthea? He looked both surprised and angry to see us. He's not expecting us to find her in time," Malfoy said.

"We can't change what happened, we can only move forward. Nate is looking into who the past victims that he referenced. He's found two so far and I placed the location of the crime scene on the map. Ron is checking out Perry's childhood home," Hermione said, pointing at various things on the board. "This picture was the only sentimental thing found at Perry's flat. This is his younger sister, Allison. She was five years younger than him and was diagnosed with a blood malediction on her twelfth birthday."

Harry took a closer look at the picture. "This is the reason that Perry became an Unspeakable. He wanted to find a cure, but she ended up dying before he could find one."

"That explains a lot. Perry is killing these women for some type of ritual, do you think it's to find a cure?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Hermione bit her lip. "I never considered that. Rituals are typically used to increase power or knowledge."

"I don't think we should look into the rituals yet. We agreed that thirteen is the number that he's shooting for and even if he does kill Anthea, she would only be number twelve. We only have five hours left before our time is up."

They were interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling.

"I agree with Draco. Hermione, you need to go and get something to eat. I can't have you passing out because you're not taking care of yourself."

She was about to protest when Malfoy gently took her arm and started steering her towards the door. "I'll make sure that she eats. I need to grab something from the Auror office."

"Perfect. I'll start looking at the Gringotts files. Can you get me a sandwich?"

"What am I, your house elf?" Malfoy asked, but she saw him nod.

Hermione realized that this was the first time that they had been alone together since she got the letter from Perry. His hand was still on her arm as he led her towards the Auror Department. She wondered what he could possibly need from there. His hand was still on her arm and it drew the gaze of the other Aurors. She wasn't sure whether to leave it or to pull away and she was relieved when Draco let go of her and started going through his cubicle.

"So this is where you work," Hermione said, looking at the chaos around them. Aurors were rushing in and out, while others were writing quietly at their desk. It was louder than she was used to and a burst of laughter made her jump.

Malfoy didn't answer and came back with a file. "Wait here, I just have to run something past a colleague."

She watched as he made his way down the row of cubicles and stopped to talk to a witch. The woman was wearing Auror robes and was beautiful with blonde hair pulled back into a stylish ponytail. If Hermione had ever attempted such a hairstyle, the elastic would snap. The two were talking quietly and there was a softness in the way that he looked at the witch. He had never looked at Hermione that way. She glanced at her watch before looking at them again.

"Annoying, isn't it?"

Hermione turned to look at the Auror that had approached her. "What?"

"Brietta and Malfoy. I have been trying to get her attention for years, but she only has eyes for him," he said before extending his hand. "I'm Matthews."

"Granger. I think you have the wrong idea, I don't like Malfoy. He's my partner," she said shaking his hand.

He raised an eyebrow. "Whatever you say."

She was about to defend herself when Malfoy walked up to them. "Granger, we need to go."

The blond grabbed her and they were out the door before Hermione could say goodbye to Matthews. She wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "What did I tell you about manhandling me?"

"I don't like Matthews. He's been trying to get me fired since I first started."

"Really, Malfoy? What was I supposed to do? You were talking to that woman and Matthews was nice enough to entertain me."

Hermione wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't _laughter_. "Are you jealous of Brietta?"

"No, of course not," she snapped, pushing him away from her. "I'm going to get the sandwiches alone. I'll see you back in the office."

His laughter followed her down the corridor and she realized that the reason it bothered her so much. Malfoy was right. Hermione had been jealous of the blonde Auror. The revelation was like a punch in the stomach. When had this happened? The doors to the lift shut and she was grateful that no one else was in the elevator with her. 

She knew when her feelings for him had started to change. It happened when he supported her during the disaster with Ron. For the first time, Malfoy had not only been nice to her, he had been there for her too. No one else had been fully on her side. Harry was also friends with Ron and Ginny was his sister. She hadn't told Anthea, wanting to avoid the pity she would see in the redhead's eyes. And as she and Malfoy spent more time together, they grew more comfortable around each other. The blond wasn't afraid to say something that would anger her and vice versa. They were both stubborn and sometimes it took shouting at Malfoy before he would listen to her. He was intelligent and good at debating. 

Hermione stormed out of the lift. She was furious with herself for letting her guard down with Malfoy. She quickly grabbed a sandwich for her and Harry and returned to the elevator. How could she have been so stupid? They worked together and she was determined not to get romantically involved with her co-workers after the disaster with Ron. Not that it mattered. Hermione could still hear Malfoy's laughter and she knew that he didn't share her feelings.

When she reached the office door, she shook away those thoughts. Her feelings for Malfoy didn't matter, not now. Anthea's life was in danger and that was her first priority. With that in mind, Hermione entered the room.


	12. Chapter 12

The five members of the task force were hard at work. They had set up shop in their office and none of them spoke unless it was necessary. The ticking clock was felt by all, the stress palpable in the air. Granger's hair was getting frizzier by the hour, reminiscent of Potions' class. She was combing through the victim's financial records, while Weasley sorted through Perry's. Potter was replaying the interviews hoping to find a subtle clue that had eluded them.

Draco was working with Nate on finding the other victims that Perry had referred to in the letter. Like all serial killer, his first kill had been sloppy but his skills had steadily improved since. It was clear that Perry was meticulous. He planned ahead and enjoyed taking their lives if the latest victims were anything to go by. There were other ways to get blood from witches without resorting to murder.

"I think I found something," Weasley said and they all paused. "Perry's aunt left him a house. I almost missed it because it's only mentioned once, in the actual will. It's located here."

He pointed to the map. The house was located on the outskirts of Magical London. It was a good position, there was hardly any pedestrian traffic in that area. Keeping Anthea in a house that barely existed on paper and that none of Perry's friends knew about fit. It was their best bet and a glance at Potter showed that he agreed.

"I'm going to rally the teams," Potter said, leaving the room without another word.

Granger and Nate stood up and Draco was relieved that Weasley stopped them. Not that he would ever admit it. "We need to wait for the teams."

"No. We only have an hour left until he kills her. I don't want to chance it," Granger said.

Draco joined them, knowing that both he and Weasley needed to present a united front. "We don't know what Perry is capable of. What if he set a trap?"

"I don't care. My girlfriend is being held there!"

"We don't know for sure. It's our best guess," the redhead said.

Hermione interrupted. "Shouldn't we send someone to check? If it's not the right place, we're running out of time…"

"If we sent someone, we might spook him. We don't know what spells he has in place. If Anthea is there and that happens, he'll kill her."

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms. "But I don't like it."

Draco shrugged. "We need to do this properly or she's dead anyway."

He wasn't sure what made him more uncomfortable: the fact that he was agreeing with Weasley or that Granger and Nate were still on the case. They were too close to it, but it's not like Potter had a choice. Hermione was the smartest person on the team and Nate brought a fresh perspective to the mix. Draco still didn't like it though.

Potter opened the door. "Let's go."

Everyone scrambled towards the door and followed him down the corridor. It felt nice to finally be doing something. Although, he had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

The second that they arrived, Harry had a bad feeling. There was something evil in the air, the residue that murder left in its wake. Hermione and Nate were antsy to storm the house, so he sent them towards the road. The Aurors and Magical Law Enforcer teams that he had gathered were doing their routine checks on the perimeter and house.

His colleague Davids approached him and Harry already knew what was found based on his expression.

"There's no sign of life in the house. There is a body and there were some pretty nasty wards and traps in the place."

Harry cursed. "Call in another medical examiner for me, yeah?"

"What's wrong with Nate?" Davids asked.

"The body most likely belongs to his girlfriend."

"That's rough, mate. Yeah, I'll call Karl in."

Harry made his way to his team. He could tell that Draco already knew what he was about to say. They had worked with each other for so long that they could read each other well. Ron and Hermione had no idea - the only other people here that knew him well - and he hated to be the one to break the news.

"The Aurors have removed the wards and traps-"

"Then why aren't we rushing inside?" Nate asked.

"- and Perry's already gone."

Hermione's brow furrowed as she tried to piece it all together. "There's still thirty minutes left. Where is Anthea, Harry?"

"She didn't make it," Harry said, scratching the back of his neck.

"No. You're lying. We still have time. He said-" Hermione said, speaking so fast that she was almost gasping for air.

Draco grabbed her shoulder. "Breathe, Granger."

She buried her face in his shirt and Harry could see that she was shaking. "I don't understand- We still have time -"

Nate took off running towards the house and Ron quickly followed, tackling his friend to the ground before he reached the house. "You can't go in there, mate. It's a crime scene."

"She's not dead. I'll prove it to you," he said, trying to push the redhead off him.

"You can't go in there. We need to catch that sick bastard and to do that, we can't contaminate the crime scene," Ron said.

His friend gestured to Nate and Harry nodded, watching them apparate away.

So that's what it looked like, losing control of your team. Harry watched the teams complete their work and listened to their reports. He caught the strange looks that Draco and Hermione received but there was nothing he could do without making the situation worse. The gossip would spread like wildfire, as if Hermione needed more to worry about right now.

The forensic team arrived shortly after the Aurors and Magical Law Enforcers left - Harry had told them to be ready just in case - and he briefed them on the situation. Once he was finished and they started working, Harry returned to Draco and Hermione.

"Hermione, if you need to leave…"

She pulled away from the blond. "I- I need to tell Ginny."

The two former partners walked back towards the house the moment she left.

"So, you and Hermione."

"There's nothing going on, Potter."

"I'm just saying that if there was, I approve."

Draco glared at him. "Absolutely not."

"Is it because she's a muggleborn?"

"Of course not. Granger deserves better than some washed up ex-Death Eater."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You've always been so dramatic. This is like Buckbeak all over again."

"That hippogriff was a menace!"

"It was barely a scratch," he said. "You should give it a go. See what happens."

The blond ignored him and Harry dropped the subject as soon as they stepped into the house. It was larger than it appeared from the outside. The furniture was covered with white sheets and a thick layer of dust covered everything. There were random scorch marks on the walls and the floor, the places the traps had been.

He followed Draco down the stairs. The forensic team were talking in hushed tones as they canvassed the basement. Harry was glad that Hermione and Nate had left. Anthea's head was turned towards them, her vacant eyes staring into space. She was lying in a pool of blood, her body looked broken and delicate. Large manacles covered her wrists and he recognized them as the type that suppressed the magic of the person bound. They were illegal and not many of them were still in existence here in Britain.

"What the fuck," Draco said as they walked up to the body.

There were six wounds on her torso and stomach. They wouldn't be able to determine if they were stab wounds until her shirt was removed and for that, they needed the medical examiner. Her wrists were unblemished. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat, so fucking glad that Hermione wasn't here to see it. Perry had slashed her throat and from the looks of it, Anthea probably suffered. Rage filled him. How dare he used these girls as playthings. Who gave Perry the right to play God?

"Potter, Malfoy," Karl greeted them. He set down his bag and started organizing his things. "I need to work uninterrupted. I will call you when I have finished with my investigation."

* * *

Ginny wasn't home when Hermione arrived and she was grateful. Her whole body was shaking so badly that she abandoned the idea of making tea and collapsed on the couch instead. She knew that she should be angry, sad, or anything, but she just couldn't make sense of it. Anthea couldn't be dead. They still had time. Perry had specifically said that they had twenty-four hours to find her.

It didn't make any sense.

But why had they trusted his word? He was a killer. That piece of shit had crossed a line and Hermione wouldn't rest until he was captured. Why did it have to be Anthea? She was such a beautiful, kind soul that had never harmed anyone in her life.

"Hermione? What are you doing home?" Ginny asked as she walked through the front door.

She didn't know what to say, so she blurted out the first thing that came to her. "Anthea's dead."

The words were so cold, so clinical to describe their friend. Hermione watched her go from shock to grief and she barely caught Ginny when her legs gave out. She held onto the redhead tightly and they clung to each other, crying. Hermione didn't know how long they sat on the floor before their tears finally slowed and their breathing almost returned to normal. Her eyes were swollen and sore.

"What happened?"

Hermione explained the letter that she had received and how the killer had given them a deadline. She confided everything, unable to believe that this wasn't some nightmare that she would wake up from at any moment.

"It's your fault she's dead," Ginny said, once Hermione was finished talking.

She looked up. "What?"

"You just said that you didn't find her in time," the redhead said pulling away from her. "You are supposed to be one of the smartest people ever, yet you couldn't figure where she was being held."

"Gin-"

"No. She was our best friend! Family. And when she needed you the most, you failed her."

Hermione stood up trembling. She didn't know what to say, the lump in her throat refused to disappear. Before Ginny could say anything else, she grabbed the floo powder and fled.

* * *

It didn't matter how many glasses of elf wine Hermione consumed. Nothing numbed the pain, the guilt, because Ginny had been right. Anthea had been relying on her - her life had literally been in jeopardy - and Hermione had failed her. And as if that wasn't bad enough, she couldn't stomach the thought of going to the crime scene.

Someone sat on the stool next to her.

"How did you find me?"

"Potter. You're going to need to drink something stronger than that," he said turning to Aberforth. "Two Firewhiskys."

"Maybe I want to be alone right now."

"Your best friend was murdered. The last thing you should be is alone."

Aberforth handed them their glasses before retreating to his corner. Hermione looked at her drink. The liquid was a lovely shade of amber, but she knew that it was more dangerous than it looked. Hermione took a swig and winced as it burned its way down her throat. It did make her feel a bit lightheaded, which was a reprieve from her chaotic thoughts.

"I should have found her sooner."

"You did your best, Granger. There was nothing more we could have done."

Hermione snorted. "I'm supposed to be the brightest witch of my age and I failed her."

"He was never going to let her live. He killed her just moments before we arrived because he knew we were coming."

"Why did he have to choose her?"

"Potter and I looked into it. It turns out that Anthea stopped seeing him when she met Nate. She hurt Perry's pride," Draco said. "Even if she wasn't your friend, he still would have picked her. He chose Padma for similar reasons."

She let his words sink in. Even though he was probably right, she couldn't help but feel like it was her fault. If only she had grabbed Perry when he bumped into her. Was it a crime to turn someone down? It was ridiculous. Hermione drank the rest of the firewhisky before slamming the cup on the counter.

"I thought that we were done losing people now that the war was over. I wasn't prepared for this."

Draco ordered them another round. "Riddle wasn't the only sick fuck out there. He just stole the spotlight for awhile."

Hermione stared at the counter, noting its grooves and scratches. If she stared at the bar, no one would notice the tears in her eyes. She accepted the drink and they sipped it in silence. She knew that everything would change now. Anthea had been such a big part of her life. What was she going to do without her? Who else would understand her enthusiasm for properly conducted clinical trial?

"We should call it a night," Draco said.

"I can't go home. Ginny blames me. We got into a huge row."

He sighed. "It's just the grief talking."

"I guess you're right," she said standing up. Going home was the last thing she wanted to do, but she wasn't ready to admit such weakness to him. "Thanks for finding me and making sure that I was okay."

Draco didn't say anything. He got up and escorted her to the fireplace. Hermione wanted to thank him for being the best partner she could have asked for. For comforting her even when it made him uncomfortable. She didn't have to always be strong when she was with him. She was grateful for him, but Hermione knew that saying all of that would only make him feel awkward.

With a last wave, Hermione walked into the green flames.

* * *

The next week passed and things at the office were tense. Anthea's death had affected them all, even though only Hermione and Nate knew her. It pissed Ron off that the killer had hit so close to home. Twelve witches, twelve families, and countless friends had their lives torn apart by Edward Perry. That bastard.

Hendry had authorized lookouts. They were placed at every one of Perry's old haunts in case that he decided to show up again. His face was plastered on wanted signs. The killer had moved up to Undesirable Number One. Despite these measures, they still hadn't caught him. It was like Perry had vanished.

The team was at a loss on where to focus their energy next. The only lead left was the ritual. THey poured over old books that smelled of mould hoping that one of them would lead to the right ritual. Despite having the list of ingredients that Ron had found ages ago, they still had trouble narrowing their list. It was frustrated and he wished that hey had something more to go on.

"I don't think we should hold another press conference," Malfoy said.

"I disagree. The public needs to know what's going on. It'll reassure them," Ron said.

"They already know everything they need to know. Perry's face is plastered on every available surface."

Ron looked at Harry for support, but his friend seemed to be lost in thought. "They deserve an update."

"Anything that we reveal in the press conference, Perry will change. It's a game to him and he holds the upper hand. We know he's after something and that's how we'll find him."

"I agree with Malfoy," Hermione said.

"Of course you do," Ron muttered, but thankfully no one heard.

The redhead wasn't oblivious to how close Hermione and Malfoy had gotten. It bothered him. She deserved better than that git, but Ron knew that his opinion would fall on deaf ears. Even though things were no longer tense between him and Hermione, she still avoided him when she could.

"I wish we could see what the Unspeakables are working on. I bet you that the ritual is connected," Hermione said with a sigh.

* * *

"So what's going on between you and Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing. She was there for me after Cho broke up with me and I'm returning the favour," Harry said. "She's really easy to talk to."

She watched Draco order their drinks. A beautiful witch walked up to him and initiated a conversation. They were at the Hog's Head, why was there a pretty woman here instead of at the Three Broomsticks? "How are you doing with the breakup?"

"I have both good and bad days. I still can't believe that Cho left me after everything we've been through. Every night, I replay the past year in my mind. I know that we were in a rough patch, but I never thought she would just walk away."

"You deserve better than someone who would leave you with a letter."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'll grieve when the case is over. I can't be in my flat. Being around Ginny reminds me that I'll never see Anthea again. I hate Perry for ruining our lives." The blonde witch had placed her hand on her partner's arm. Hermione looked away.

"I've noticed that you've been working overtime," Harry said.

"Is that why you forced me to come out tonight?"

Before he could reply, Draco finally returned with the drinks. There was no sign of the beautiful woman anywhere. Harry knocked back his Firewhisky before standing up.

"I'm going to call it a night."

Hermione and Draco said their goodbyes and watched Harry leave. The Hog's Head was rather busy tonight, but she was happy that Harry had chosen a booth in the corner. There was a good view of the bar and they were slightly in the shadows. The bar's dim lighting came in handy.

"And then, there were two," Hermione said, spinning her cup. "I went to your store the other day. I'm very impressed with the interior design."

"What did you think of the grey floors? The designer originally wanted a dark brown," Draco said. He was sitting so close to her that his breath was tickling her cheek.

"I agree with your decision. Dark brown would make the store appear smaller," she said and they spent the next hour talking about anything and everything that was unrelated to the case.

It was a relief to be distracted even though part of her felt guilty for smiling when Anthea had just died. The alcohol was helping ease that guilt slightly, something that she was grateful for tonight. Draco's arm was pressed up against hers and the smell of his spicy aftershave was intoxicating. With everything that had been going on, she had almost forgotten her crush on the man next to her. Almost. The way he was looking at her was downright sinful.

"That shirt looks good on you, Granger."

Hermione was about to answer but he was leaning in towards her and she met him halfway. Their kiss was both perfect and awkward. Their heads had both tilted to the same direction initially. Her hands flew to his shoulder and he pulled her closer towards him. If anyone had told her a year ago that she would be kissing Draco Malfoy, Hermione would never have believed it. For the first time in a long time, she was happy. She felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

The sound of glass shattering startled them and Hermione saw the doubt and indecision the moment that he pulled away. She wanted to hold onto the moment with both hands because she knew Draco well enough to know what was going to happen next.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said. "I'm sorry, that was very unprofessional of me."

"We aren't at work. I'm sure that it's obvious by now that I have feelings for you."

Draco ran his fingers through his hair. "I like you too. You've gotten under my skin and no matter what I do, I can't seem to shake how I feel. But you deserve better than me, Granger."

"Do we really have to go through this again?" Hermione asked. "We aren't defined by our pasts. I don't care about who you were. I like the man that you've become."

"I'm an ex-Death Eater. You might have forgotten that part of my history, but I have not. I carry a reminder of it every day."

"We all have our scars. He's taken enough of our lives, are you really going to let Riddle steal this from us too?"

She reached for him, but he pulled away. Draco wouldn't meet her eye and Hermione knew that she wouldn't be able to get through to him tonight. It sucked. "Fine. I will not sit here and beg for you to change your mind. You and I both know how good we would be together. We could have something great if you gave us a chance. But, I will not wait. I have done enough of that in my lifetime."

Hermione stood up. She wanted him to stop her, to realize how stupid he was being. They had grown so close in the past months and she didn't understand his reservations. Who was he to decide who she should be with? When Draco wouldn't meet her eye, she gathered her stuff and left the pub.

When she got home, she felt like screaming in frustration.

* * *

Draco picked up his stack of mail as soon as he got home and started answering them. It was the first time he was glad for his extremely long work days because it took his mind off of her. He had a solitary life before the task force, something that he was both comfortable and happy with. He dealt with his businesses in the morning and before retiring for bed and spent his days working as an Auror.

After the war, he made the decision to dedicate his life to clearing the Malfoy name. Hermione scoffed at this, but she didn't know that people still cursed him in the streets. Draco had to weave in protective charms into his clothes but even those weren't enough sometimes. He wanted the Malfoy name to mean something different, to be associated with the Light. It would take his entire lifetime, but he was committed to the cause.

He cared about Hermione and he wouldn't condemn her to this kind of life. She had already spent her childhood being hated for something that she couldn't control, he wouldn't drag her through down by associating himself with her. Draco felt at peace with his decision.

As soon as he put the parchment away, a theory came to him and he quickly snatched his quill and paper. Draco sent off his letter as soon as the ink finished drying and waited for a reply. He didn't have to wait for long and the message was so like her, yet he wanted to shake some sense into her.

_Draco,_

_I appreciate your concern, but I don't think that Perry is after me. I'm not part of the warding system, I'm not using MagicMatch, and I have never talked to the man in my life. It doesn't fit his M.O. And even if he did choose to come after me, I can take care of myself._

_Hermione._

Draco would have to speak to Harry in the morning. If anyone could make her see reason, it would be Potter. He hoped that he was just being paranoid. Hermione was right, there was no obvious reason to go after her.

He didn't get much sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might be starting a new job this week, so I might not be able to post an update next Tuesday. I'll try my best to get it done on time :). 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this latest chapter :).


	13. Chapter 13

It didn't take Draco long to figure out that he had made the biggest mistake of his life. The way Hermione felt, _tasted_ , was ingrained in his memory and not a second passed that his mind didn't replay the moment… and how he had fucked it all up.

When they first started the case, he and Granger had been at odds. It wasn't a surprise. They had clashed during school and it wasn't just because of her blood status, her personality was downright abrasive at times. As the case unfolded, he saw a different side of her. The way that she dug into that forensic technician was something that impressed him to this day. The combination of ruthlessness, kindness, and intelligence in one person intrigued him. Granger was the only other person that worked similar to him. They both showed up early, left late, and were consumed by the case. She got under his skin and no matter what he did, he couldn't shake her. He knew that he needed to make things right between him, so he did the only thing he could think of and called in backup in the form of Pansy Parkinson.

"So why did I need to be here at this ungodly hour?" she asked, making herself at home in his kitchen.

"I need your help."

"You never ask for help unless… who is she?"

He poured himself a cup of earl grey. Draco wanted to be evasive, but he didn't have time. He was due at the Ministry soon. "Granger."

"No way. How did that happen?" she asked, laughing.

"This was a bad idea. Never mind, I can handle it."

"Clearly not if you floo-called me."

Draco sighed. "Fine. Granger and I have been partners on this case for months. I started viewing her in a favourable light. I knew there was no chance that she would return my feelings. Yesterday, we kissed."

"What did you do?" she asked, stealing a sip of tea. "Don't give me that look. You fucked it up. Now you need my help. Has hanging out with Potter made you slow?"

He was tempted to throw in an insult about Weasley, but he knew that would only piss her off and she would storm off without helping him. Draco had forgotten what Pansy was like and realized that quite some time had passed since he had last seen her. Come to think of it, when had he last talked to Blaise and Daphne? These cases took on a life of their own and sucked Draco in. He made a mental note to send his friends a letter later today.

"I told her it was a mistake. I realize now how stupid that was. I just don't know how I should make it right."

"Well, it won't be easy. Granger is stubborn and she holds onto grudges," Pansy said before giving him a small smile. "Talk to her. People make mistakes and if she truly has feelings for you, then she'll accept your apology."

"Thanks, Pans," he said before glancing at the clock. "Fuck, I'm going to be late."

* * *

"You're late," Hermione said as soon as Draco showed up.

She wasn't keen on seeing him today, but the fear that he wouldn't show up at work had left her with this awful feeling in her gut. Draco was integral to the team, her partner, and his absence would have bothered her to no end. Was this what it had been like for him when she hadn't shown up after Ron?

"Can we talk?"

She looked up from the paper she was reading. "We're talking right now."

"I mean privately?" he asked.

Draco couldn't meet her eye, which made her drop her paper and follow him out of the room. They kept walking until they reached her old office and shut the door. Here it was, the announcement that he could no longer be her partner and work with her. He walked towards her desk and straightened out the paper and lamp on her desk before turning to her.

"You're right. We can't let our past dictate our present or our future. I just don't want you to regret being with me. People still think that I belong in Azkaban and they're not wrong," he said.

Hermione sighed. "Draco, I don't care about that. I told you that. You talk about being hated, I know exactly how that feels. There are people who still question my right to exist."

He finally looked her in the eye and she was surprised at the depth of emotion there. She took a step towards him and he met her halfway. "I want this. I'm sorry for being an idiot yesterday."

"I forgive you," Hermione whispered.

Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest as she waited for Draco to make the next move. It felt like a thousand years had passed in that single moment before he kissed her. His lips were just as soft as she had remembered, his touch slightly aggressive but in the best kind of way. She relaxed into him, her heart feeling like it was going to burst.

"Should we tell the team or keep it quiet for now?" she asked.

"We should probably keep it quiet for now. Everyone's focus should be on Perry instead of us. And you know that the press will have a field day once they find out," Draco said. He took her hand in his and interlaced their fingers. "I can already picture it 'War Hero seduced by Former Death Eater'."

"Or 'Power Couple Alert! Successful Businessman and Auror dates Criminal Intelligence Analyst'," Hermione smiled.

As soon as they stepped out of her former office, they stopped holding hands and met up with the rest of the team. Harry gave them a suspicious look but didn't say anything. Nate was looking at the latest files that MagicMatch had sent them. They wanted to make sure that Perry was no longer using his account and also wanted to monitor any new accounts that had been created. It was likely that he would make a new one with a fake name.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked.

Hermione pulled out the notes she had taken so far. "None of your business, Ronald."

She waited until the group settled into their work when she pulled out the parchment from her bag. It was a plan that she had come up with the night before, one that Hendry nor Harry would approve. Looking it over, she made a few adjustments to her notes. It was dangerous and normally, she never would have considered it but Anthea had died and that changed everything.

Hermione could not let Perry get away with this. She would not.

* * *

Harry shoved his hands in his pockets as he waited outside the coffee shop. The streets were empty, the cold weather had kept people inside. He didn't blame them. Harry would have done the same, if it weren't for the fact that every inch of his place reminded him of Cho. They had picked out the furniture together and every inch of that place had memories attached to it. Work kept him distracted all day – something he was grateful for – but each time he returned home, he was reminded of all he had lost.

"Hey, I hope that you haven't been waiting long," Ginny said, her cheeks rosy.

"Not at all, let's go grab a table."

He opened the door for her and followed her inside the crowded café. They grabbed their coffees and headed to one of the tables by the window, each taking a seat. Both looked a bit uncomfortable and Harry had no idea what to say to her now that she was here. Maybe meeting up with Ginny hadn't been the smartest idea, but she had been a good friend the last time he had talked to her.

"I'm sorry about Anthea," he said.

She looked out the window. "Thanks. It's still strange to think that she's gone. Sometimes, I start to write her a letter before I remember that she's… well, you know –"

"I used to do the same thing the summer after Sirius died," Harry said, staring into his cup. "Perry was never going to let her go. The time limit was a game to him."

"I just don't understand why he chose her."

"She was dating him for awhile and he was angry when she chose Nate. I've been talking to an American consultant and she said that serial killers process events differently than we do. The average person would lash out at someone that's rejected them, try to make them jealous, or move on."

Ginny nodded and quickly wiped her face. "I'm sorry. You probably didn't invite me so that I could cry about her."

"It's okay. We need to rely on our friends in times of struggle," Harry said. "You've heard me talk about Cho, this is no different."

"Thanks. It's just so hard to pretend that everything is normal. The quidditch girls are sympathetic, but they don't actually want to talk about it. And I can't talk to Hermione right now."

Harry took a sip of his drink and felt himself relax. There was nothing better than a good cup of coffee. He wasn't sure what to say regarding Hermione. Girls always had complicated fights and experience had shown him that it was best not to get involved.

"I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

"I know that I shouldn't be mad at Hermione. I'm not really, but whenever I see her, I'm reminded of Anthea."

"I think that Hermione knows that. She blames herself for not figuring it out on time. She's doing what she always does though, throwing herself into catching Perry."

Ginny was about to say something, but then she suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Harry, I'm sorry. Cho just walked in and she's, well, she's not alone."

He turned his head to look and felt like he had been punched in the gut. Cho was standing in line with one of her work colleagues. Harry had never like the guy. Dylan had always been too attentive towards Cho and had shown up in too many of her stories. He knew that she hadn't cheated on him but Harry couldn't help but feel betrayed by her choice in date or the fact that she had already started dating. She had that look in her eyes and was leaning in towards her colleague, while Dylan had his hand resting on the small of her back. Harry turned away before they noticed his stare.

"Well that's fantastic," he said, taking a large swig of coffee and almost inhaling it.

"I'm sorry. That's rotten luck. Have you guys talked since she left the letter?"

"Just a short meeting where she regurgitated what she wrote in the letter and then she left. She stopped returning my owls."

Ginny winced. "Maybe she just needs time before facing you."

"She doesn't need time. Cho had been planning to leave me for awhile. All her actions indicate that this was a well thought out plan."

"You're better off without her," she said sitting up. "You are smart, hard-working, loyal, and brave. You are a catch and any girl would be lucky to have you."

Harry could feel his face redden. "Apparently I'm also a workaholic and absent-minded."

"You're dedicated to your job, which is admirable. I get a lot of grief from men because I'm so focused on quidditch. They think it's great that I play the sport professionally until they find out how much I'm away, the dietary limitations that I have to stay in shape, and the focus that it takes. Enough talking, let's go and do something. I reckon we both need some cheering up."

He agreed. They both put on their coats and started walking to the door. Draco always talked about how he had a horseshoe shoved up his ass but this instant proved that his former partner was wrong. Just as he and Ginny reached the door, Dylan and Cho were about to leave too.

"Harry, I'm surprised to see you here," Cho said biting her lip.

Ginny stepped into Harry's side and wrapped an arm around his waist. Harry was too surprised to react and instead, just stared at his ex.

"Cho," he greeted and kicked himself for not thinking of something wittier to say.

"I'm surprised to see you here together," his ex said staring at the two with a frown. "Ginny, Harry, this is Dylan."

The redhead smiled. "It is lovely to meet you and your boyfriend. I'm sorry to be rude, but Harry and I should leave. We have tickets to the Puddlemere match today and it would be rude if we were late."

Harry was frozen to the spot and it took Ginny tugging him out of the coffee shop to get him to snap out of it. The cold air was refreshing. It wasn't until they were further down the street that he realized that they were still holding hands. Harry let go.

"What was all that in there?" he asked.

Ginny shrugged. "Honestly, I just went with my instincts. I was trying to make Cho jealous."

"Do you think it worked?"

"Definitely. She looked like she wanted to murder me," she answered before turning to Harry. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm not sure if you noticed, but she didn't deny the fact that Dylan was her boyfriend."

"I can't believe that I have to just give up. This sucks."

She led him to the park and they sat on the bench. "I know it does. Look, if Cho contacts you within the next few days, then you know that there's hope. If she doesn't… well, then I think it's best if you try to move on with your life."

Harry thought on her words. She had given him a lifeline and he knew that he was going to be watching the owl post just in case. "So were you lying about the Puddlemere game?"

"I was wondering when you were going to ask about that," she laughed. "If you want to come, you're more than welcome. We should leave soon or we'll miss the start."

"What are we waiting for?" Harry asked.

Ginny grabbed his shoulder and they apparated to the match.

* * *

Hermione fidgeted with her hood. If she was caught, she would be reprimanded. This was the only time that she hoped that her war hero status would save her from dismissal. They had reached a dead end again in finding Perry. He wasn't an idiot. He knew that they were looking for him. He was avoiding his home, anything that could be connected back to him. They were watching a few new MagicMatch accounts that had been created shortly after Anthea's death, but Hermione didn't think that any of them was Perry.

She stepped into the corridor and walked confidentially in the direction of Perry's office. Hermione had spent the last week gathering as much intelligence on the Unspeakables as she could. She had declined Draco's lunch offers. Hermione needed information and the best place to do that was at the cafeteria. She had sat close to people rumoured to be Unspeakables, knowing there was always a grain of truth in those kinds of rumours. Her efforts had paid off as she heard snippets of confidential information.

Armed with as much knowledge as she could accumulate in such a short period of time, Hermione started planning how she would infiltrate the Unspeakable Department. Her advantage was that the place was shrouded in secrecy. As long as she acted like she belonged, there was no reason to suspect her. She hoped. Her plan was simple: figure out what Perry was working on. Her instincts told her that the ritual was related to his project.

Taking a deep breath, she strode out from her hiding space and followed a group of Unspeakables that had just emerged from an office. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she waited for one of them to say something, but no one did. Discretely, Hermione scanned the area that she knew that Perry worked. This place was like a maze and it took her several tries before she found the right office.

This part of the Department was empty and instead of feeling like a blessing, it creeped her out. Every little noise made her jump. Perry's office was exactly like Ron had described his living space to be like. There was nothing personal about the office. No pictures, no awards, nothing. There was a desk, a bookshelf, and an office chair. She started flipping through the papers on his desk but they were just various forms that Perry hadn't filled out. Hermione opened the drawer and started searching through the files.

She was almost finished sorting through the first drawer when she felt like she was being watched. Hermione quickly looked up and saw that she was still alone. She cast a spell in case someone was disillusioned but thankfully, no one was there. She released the breath she had been holding. For a moment, she imagined what it was like to be a prey being circled by a predator. The feeling of being watched didn't go away but she pushed it out of her mind. Hermione was being paranoid. Casting a quick spell, she copied the notes from his drawers and managed to leave the Department unnoticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being so understanding about my change in schedules. The next chapter will have more action in it :).


	14. Chapter 14

"And you're sure that no one's missing?" Ron asked for the third time.

The officer gave him a firm no before hanging up. He walked over to Hermione's desk and handed her mobile back. "The muggle police said there aren't any missing women in London from the day of Anthea's capture to now."

"It was worth a try," she said before dropping her pen. Her brown eyes glanced around the empty room before she sighed. "Can I talk to you?"

Ron was tempted to wait until Harry's back. His last conversation with Hermione blew up in his face and he didn't want a repeat. Their friendship wouldn't survive another fight. But Ron was tired of the drama and the way that Harry kept them apart or occupied, never alone together. Maybe there was a way to try to salvage the little bit of friendship that they had left. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to clear the air. I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you. I needed time to process everything," Hermione said after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

He was used to her rambling and was surprised when the seconds stretched into minutes. Ron realized that she was waiting for him to say something. "My intention was never to hurt you. You're still one of the most important people in my life. I just couldn't be the person you needed me to be."

She gave him a small smile. "You're still important to me too and to be honest… I think that I needed you to be brutally honest for me to finally move on. I'm glad that you've found happiness with Pansy."

"Thank you," Ron said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about Anthea. I never knew her but I know that she was important to you and Ginny."

"I haven't allowed myself to properly grieve. Not until we finally catch Perry."

"We will," Ron promised.

Before things could get awkward, Harry walked into the office. He stopped as he looked between the two of them as if it just dawned on him that they were alone together. "Do I need to put you guys in time-out?"

"No, we're good," Hermione said. "Just talking."

"Finally," Harry said and they all started laughing.

* * *

The reprieve that Perry was given them put Harry on edge. He was a man of action. There was nothing more that he hated than searching for a lead after none of the previous ones had panned out. It made him feel incompetent. What could he do but wait for Perry to make the next move? They uncovered everything possible on the man and had put every precaution in place, yet he still eluded them. It was frustrating. Even Hendry was at a loss on what to do next, despite demanding that they needed to do something.

Harry also had to come to terms with the fact that he and Cho were over. She hadn't reached out after their awkward run-in with Dylan and Ginny. At least he had scored a free ticket to Puddlemere. Oliver Wood had come by to chat with him and he hadn't changed a bit. Ginny had to pull Harry away from Oliver's lengthy explanation of a new seeker move that he had read about in Quidditch Quarterly. It was like his third year all over again.

"-and then Carey was stuck with his pig nose for the rest of the day," Harry finished his story about one of the Aurors. Ginny had been quiet since they met up, which was unlike her. "Is everything okay?"

"What did you say?"

"You've been spacing out the entire evening. Are you okay?" he repeated.

The redhead sighed. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"I'm just going to come out and say it. I have feelings for you, Harry. Ever since we broke up, I've always had a soft spot for you," Ginny admitted. "I know this isn't fair of me to put on you, but I needed to be honest with you."

Out of all the things that she could have said, that was the last thing that Harry was expecting. He didn't know what to do. He enjoyed spending time with Ginny. She was beautiful, smart, and liked the same things that he did. It was easy being with her in a way that it had never been with Cho. But, he didn't want anything more than friendship… at least for right now.

"Thank you for being honest with me. I think you're a great girl but I'm not looking for anything more than friendship right now," Harry said, adjusting his glasses.

Ginny stood up and gave him a watery smile. "I understand. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

He watched her disappear and groaned. This recent development made things complicated. Harry hoped that things with the rest of the Weasleys wouldn't get awkward as a result.

* * *

Hermione's heart skipped a beat the moment that Harry stepped out of the office. She and Draco were alone. Ron was off chasing a lead, Harry had to run something past Hendry, and Nate was needed on another case. Draco was completely focused on his current task. His sleeves were rolled up and a piece of hair had fallen into his eyes. He was always so put together and in control that it was nice to see him slightly dishevelled.

As she checked out her boyfriend, she couldn't help but feel guilty. How could she feel happy when Anthea had died? Every time she closed her eyes, Hermione dreamt of her best friend. Remembering the accusing look that Anthea gave her every night since she died was enough to cool her of her thoughts of Draco.

Hermione glanced at Perry's notes about Morgan le Fay in an effort to distract herself. The Unspeakable had been obsessed with the legendary witch and had spent years researching her. Some of the things that he had found were far-fetched like the reports that Morgan le Fay had never died but had been trapped in some relic from her past. Perry wrote that Morgan le Fay could heal any sickness, reverse ageing, and could inflict disease on anyone she wanted. It was impossible. None of the references she found supported Perry's notes.

Glancing up, Draco's gaze robbed her of thought. He was staring at her with such intensity that she couldn't look away. It was the kind of heated stare that belonged in a romance novel, the kind that Lavender used to read back at Hogwarts. Heat spread across her face and she averted her eyes, a small smile on her lips. The moment was broken when Ron returned and Hermione resumed studying her notes, the blush lingering on her cheeks.

* * *

The sky was still dark when Hermione woke up and she smiled. Lately, she was always surrounded by others and rarely had time for herself. She had made a deal with herself that she would wake up early, make breakfast, and drink her tea in solitude. There was always a special kind of silence in the morning, a feeling of being alone while everyone slept. Hermione took her time getting ready and was bursting with joy and energy by the time she sat down with a plate of scrambled eggs and tea.

She was just about finished her meal when Ginny stumbled into the kitchen, her red hair sticking out in every direction. Hermione watched her roommate pour herself a cup of tea - almost spilling it - and collapsed into the seat next to her. She hoped that Ginny wouldn't disrupt this beautiful, glorious calm but only two minutes passed the silence was broken.

"Has Harry told you what happened?"

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes. "No. Harry and I barely talk these days and if we do, it's only about the case."

"I told Harry that I had feelings for him."

"And what did he say?"

"He told me that he wasn't interested in anything more than friendship right now, which I understand. I just wish that he returned my feelings."

Hermione finished the last of her tea. "This is exactly why I was against you guys hanging out again. Cho just left him and work has been crazy. What would possess you to tell him?

"I told him because I needed to know where we stood. At least now I know that I need to move on," Ginny said watching as Hermione stood up and put her dishes away. "I wanted you to act like my friend, not my mother. You can't even spare a few minutes without running away to work."

"I can't get into this right now. You know why this case means more to me than any other that I've worked on," Hermione said as she grabbed her work things and her coat. "I have to go."

Hermione grabbed the floo powder and disappeared into the green flames. When she arrived in the crowded atrium, she pushed the fight with Ginny out of her mind and set off for the Department of Mysteries. She had gone through all the notes that she had borrowed from Perry's office and although she knew she was close to having the answer, Hermione hadn't quite figured out what he wanted with the blood yet.

She ducked into a washroom near the department and quickly changed into the Unspeakable uniform, shrinking her work bag so that it fit into her pocket. Once she was ready, Hermione disillusioned herself, walked down the hallway, and entered the Department of Mysteries. She had to walk slow and be mindful of her surroundings so that no one accidentally bumped into her. The feeling of being watched returned but she was used to it. It was a feeling that she had each time she snuck into the Department of Mysteries. There was something eerie about being in such a secretive place full of secrets.

Hermione made her way down the familiar path. She released the disillusion charm the moment she was in an empty corridor. She nodded in greeting to a couple of Unspeakables that walked past her but no one paid her any mind. She waited until the hallway was clear again before ducking into Perry's office.

The reason for her return was because there was something that she was missing. Hermione searched the room for what felt like the millionth time with no result. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that she needed to return to her own office before Harry got suspicious of her absence. Hermione was about to leave when she realized what had been bothering her.

The wall adjacent to Perry's desk was empty. Strangely empty. No pictures, no chairs, no shelves, only a clock that was off-centre. When she first saw his office, Hermione had dismissed it the empty space. Perry didn't have a lot of things and he was neat, obsessively so. He would never stand for a crooked clock, which meant that there was a reason he didn't change it.

" _Revelio_ ," she whispered.

Her vision was blurry for a second before the wardrobe materialized and came into focus. It was a rich mahogany, beautiful wooden wardrobe. Hermione walked towards it tentatively. If she had turned around, she would have noticed the scruffy man that had appeared once her revealing spell took hold.

When Hermione opened the wardrobe door, a gasp escaped her. The potion ingredients – the ones on Ron's list – covered the shelves but it was the twelve vials of blood that filled her with horror. There was only one book and Hermione quickly grabbed it, opening it to the bookmarked page. As soon as she read the contents, she slammed the book shut and put it back with trembling fingers. Hermione closed the wardrobe doors and waved her wand, watching it disappear.

She needed to find the team now. Hermione turned to leave and froze when she saw the dirty man barring her exit from the room. Her mind went blank when she noticed his wand was pointed at her. No words were spoken, or needed, as he walked up to her and tore her wand out of her tight grip. He grabbed her arm and disapparated.

Only a shrunken bag was left in their wake.

* * *

Draco tapped his quill on the desk and set it down. He glanced around the room, picked it back up and then dropped it. Hermione was late. She was rarely late and it was almost lunchtime. Potter and Weasley looked similarly concerned, but none of them broached the subject.

"Hermione said she was pursuing a lead this morning," Potter said after Draco glared at him for the fifth time in the past two minutes.

The blond was about to snap at him when a note slipped under their office door. The men all looked at each other before Potter stood up and grabbed it. His face paled and he walked over to Draco and passed him the note. He clenched his jaw and waved his wand sending Weasley the note.

Draco stood up and threw his chair against the wall. His wild, grey eyes looked for something else to destroy when Potter put him into a full body bind. The blond knew that this would happen, had predicted it and had been lulled into a false sense of security. He had never hated himself more than in this moment.

"Ron, I need you to check to see if Hermione came into the Ministry today. We need to track her movements. I'll fill Hendry in after I've dealt with this one," Potter said. Weasley rushed out of the room leaving them alone. "If I release the curse, will you promise to stop losing your shit?"

The look in his eye must have convinced Potter because he released the curse. Draco caught himself before he fell.

"We need to find her or I swear to Merlin that I'm going to kill that scumbag myself."

Potter looked torn between anger and desperation. "You'll have to wait in line. Fuck, I need to tell Hendry."

* * *

Since the war, the Burrow had changed. When Ginny was younger, she had taken her childhood home for granted. Every scratch, nick, and mark told the story of their lives, an imaginative and crazy childhood. The house had been filled with the sounds of explosions, fighting, and laughter. It was rare for it to be quiet but after Fred died, silence seeped into the very foundations of the Burrow. Only the next generation disrupted the stillness, their innocence bringing light to even the darkest corners.

Ginny wished that the children were here tonight. Her mother needed the distraction tonight with the serial killer on the loose. She and George were tidying the kitchen after dinner and had commanded their mother to go and relax. It had taken a few threats before she had listened and gone in search of their father.

Her attention returned to the conversation at hand.

"Look, Harry and Hermione have always been close. They're like brother and sister," George said while Ginny dried the dishes. "I don't blame you for hanging out with Harry but Hermione is protective of him. I'm sure that it'll pass and you and Hermione will be back to normal in no time."

"I just wish that she would take my side for once, support me," Ginny said, grabbing a mug and inspecting it. "I feel like I lost both of my friends the day that Anthea was taken. I've tried to talk to Hermione about it but she's always rushing off to work. And I know she needs to and I'm being selfish…"

He waved his wand and the clean dishes started going into the cupboards. "You're not being selfish. You're grieving and you're hurt. But Hermione processes things differently. Are you surprised that she's throwing herself into work?"

"No, of course not."

George was about to answer when they heard a shout from the living room. "Ginny! George! Get in here now."

They glanced at each other before rushing into the next room. Ginny's heart was racing, hoping that her parents were okay. Was one of them hurt? When she entered the room, she was surprised to see her parents beside the wireless.

"Turn it up!" her mother snapped.

"The Magical Law Enforcement has just released a statement that Hermione Granger has been kidnapped by the Stranger. She has been part of the task force responsible for capturing the serial killer whose latest victim was Anthea Davis…"

Ginny jumped at the sound of shattering glass but did not tear her attention away from the wireless. It couldn't be true. She had just seen Hermione this morning after their row. What was the last thing that she had said to Hermione? Shame filled her as tears welled in her eyes. Ginny barely registered George wrapping his arms around her and whispering comforting words as her mind struggled to cope with the situation at hand.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap: After Anthea's murder, the team struggles to find Perry and hit a dead end. Hermione comes up with a plan (and doesn't tell the team) and sneaks into the Department of Mysteries to figure out which ritual the killer plans on using. What she didn't count on was being followed by Perry. He abducts her and he leaves a message for the team, letting them know that he has her.

Harry sat with his head in his hands. He had combed through Hermione's desk repeatedly and the search had yielded nothing. She had been missing for hours and they were no closer to figuring out where she was or how she was taken. Out of everyone that could have been taken on the team, why her? Obviously, she was a female and fit Perry's criteria, but Harry needed her on this case. They were so close to catching him. Now, Hermione was gone.

"Okay, I think I figured out where she went," Ron said bursting through the door. "The Department of Mysteries is the only place related to Perry that we haven't investigated."

"The Head Unspeakable was worried that we would compromise their work and share their secrets," Harry said with an eye roll. The time for maintaining interdepartmental relations was over now that his best friend had been taken. "How are we going to get in?"

Ron sighed. "I don't know. I don't have any contacts that could help," he said and looked around, "Where's Malfoy?"

"I sent him home to rest."

"I bet he liked that," Ron chuckled.

Harry ignored the comment. The rivalry between his two friends had died down, but it was still present. He knew that he would need to talk to Ron about it. But today was not that day. His thoughts drifted back to Hermione. There had to be a way to get into the Department of Mysteries. Hermione had figured it out. How? Knowing her, it had taken time and planning. Time they didn't have. To sneak around unseen…

"I think it's time to break out the cloak again," Harry said standing up.

"There's no way that we'll both fit under that now."

He nodded. "That's why I'll be going in alone."

Ron opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he saw the look on Harry's face. He gave him a terse nod and they started planning.

* * *

The water felt heavenly as it ran down his scalp, the heat turning his skin a faint pink. Draco couldn't remember the last time he showered or slept. How could he with Hermione gone? His fists clenched at the thought of Perry's hands on her. Draco had known from the start that Perry was bad news. His instincts had been screaming at him to take notice, but he had let himself get distracted. And now he had failed her.

Failed.

Draco needed to believe that they would find her in time. If there was one thing he learned, it was that the Golden Trio was impossible to kill. But Perry was smart and resourceful. He had already killed twelve witches. He had to have faith that they would find her or that she would escape Perry's clutches. He turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing the white, fluffy towel, he dried himself off and strode into his bedroom to get dressed. The time for rest was over.

Potter had better have come up with a plan.

* * *

Hermione knew something was wrong the moment she woke up. There was a weird feeling at the back of her throat, a metallic aftertaste that made her slightly nauseous. It took her a second to realize that thick ropes were wrapped around her body, cutting into her skin and making it difficult to breathe. Someone was pacing in the room, but she kept her eyes closed to feign sleep for a little longer. Hermione knew that Perry must have her, but she didn't remember when or how he had captured her.

"I know you're awake, Hermione."

Her name sounded wrong coming from his lips. It took a second for her eyes to adjust to her surroundings. They were in an enlarged tent. It wasn't as big as the one that the Weasleys had, but two people could live in it comfortably. It was also impossibly clean. Maybe when this was all over, Perry would share his cleaning spells. As if. Her heart dropped when she realized that the windows were covered. She had no idea where they were.

She focused her attention on Perry who had taken a seat at the kitchen table and watched her. His robes were filthy and his dark hair matted. Life on the run had not been kind to him. There was something unsettling about the look in his eyes, something she hadn't seen since the war. Dark magic and insanity seemed to go hand in hand if her past encounters were anything to go by.

"You look like shit," Hermione said, ignoring the ball of fear in her stomach.

"Do you really think it's a smart idea to threaten your captor?"

"You're going to kill me anyway. I'm surprised you haven't done it already."

He stood up and walked towards her. Hermione swallowed, trying not to show how much he unsettled her as he ran his dirty hands through her curls. "You're surprisingly beautiful. Your pictures don't do you justice."

She turned her head away when he caressed her mouth, dragging his thumb from her lips to her cheek. Why couldn't she remember what had happened? Had she done something stupid to get caught? Did Draco know that she had been taken? Did Harry?

"How much does your team know?"

"It's not my team. It's Harry's."

He laughed. "You're the brains behind the operation."

"Last time I checked, Draco matches my intelligence."

Perry grabbed her throat suddenly and squeezed. "Do not test my patience. What does your team know?"

"Do you really think I would tell you? After you killed Anthea?" she said, a fire burning in her amber eyes.

He released her throat as if she burned him. "You will serve your purpose, just like she served hers."

Perry stormed out of the tent leaving her alone. Hermione released a sob as the truth of her situation sunk in. She was a serial killer's prisoner. He would be back and when he was, there was a chance that she wouldn't make it. It wasn't fair. She had just found love, her career had taken an exciting turn, and it finally felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be. And now, Perry was going to take that from her. Just like he had stolen Anthea's future. Padma's. The ten other women that he had murdered.

Harry would find her. He had never failed her yet.

* * *

It had taken Harry longer than he thought to find Perry's office. First, he had to break into the Head Unspeakable's office, which was no small feat. He had to thank Hermione for teaching him about wards during the war. His best friend was brilliant, not just in her intelligence but in the way she shared it with the world. There had been a close call when the Head Unspeakable entered the room to grab something, but thankfully he didn't notice that anything was amiss.

All this cloak and dagger had all been worth it. Once he found Perry's office, it had only taken a minute for him to find Hermione's shrunken purse and five minutes to find Perry's hidden armoire (he was an Auror and used to finding hidden things). Harry enlarged Hermione's bag and tossed everything from the wardrobe in it before donning the invisibility cloak and escaping the Department of Mysteries. It wouldn't do to get caught now.

Instead of going to their new office, Harry quickly strode to his old desk in the Auror's Department. He didn't care when he ran into people as he passed them invisibly. Time was running out. He wanted to meet here because Perry knew where they worked. To save Hermione, they needed every advantage they could get. Draco and Ron were both waiting for him in the small cubicle. It was messier than he remembered it being, smaller. His desk felt like it belonged to another person like it was from another life. He muttered a quick Muffliato. He pulled off his cloak and carefully put Hermione's bag on his desk.

"I was right. She was taken from the Department of Mysteries," Ron said.

"That's not everything. Hermione found out what Perry was up to. He's going to be pissed when he finds out this is missing."

Draco grabbed the weathered book and opened it to the marked page. The writing was faded and difficult to make out, but it outlined the steps of the ritual. The ingredients matched Ron's list and the way the spine of the book was creased made him certain that this was the one.

"This is a very dark ritual," the blond said passing the book to Harry.

"Of course it's for a resurrection. Do people never learn?"

Ron peered over his shoulder. "Who does he want to resurrect?"

"Morgan Le Fay. His notes are all about her," Draco said looking up from the roll of parchment. "Look, right where it talks about her healing capabilities, he's scribbled in his sister's name."

"Why wouldn't he resurrect his sister?" Ron asked.

"It says here that the blood of the person you intend to resurrect is needed. If his sister had a blood malediction, it's possible that resurrecting her would be for nought."

Draco frowned. "Then he would need Morgan Le Fay's blood. There's no way that he could have that."

"It doesn't matter if he does or not. He must think that he has it and it says here the ritual needs to be done when the full moon reaches its peak in the sky," Harry said. "That's tonight."

"That gives us time to find Hermione. According to the book, a vessel is needed for the resurrected soul," Ron said. "This is seriously twisted."

"We know what he plans to do, we just need to find out where," Draco said.

"We could consult a Dark Arts specialist. If Perry wants this ritual to be successful, he will either look for a place that holds meaning to him or a strong magical point."

Ron looked up. "Do we know where his sister is buried? My bet is there."

"No, we don't. Ron, look into that. Draco and I will track down a Dark Arts specialist."

The wizards looked at each other before dispersing. They only had a few hours to find Hermione before the moon hit its peak. Harry prayed to both God and Merlin that it would be enough time. The thought of losing Hermione… No. They would find her. They had to.

* * *

Hermione had spent the last few hours trying to escape to no avail. The ropes wouldn't loosen no matter how much she struggled against them. She tried to summon her magic, reading somewhere that wizards and witches were capable of using wandless, strong magic when they were in fight or flight situations. If there was ever a situation where her life depended on escaping, it was this one.

Closing her eyes, she pictured Draco. Hermione would never have imagined falling in love with him but this case had changed everything. He was the only person to challenge her and to put up with her moods. Hermione knew that she could be quite volatile, something that Ron had never been able to deal with. She wondered what he was doing and if he was thinking of her. Had Draco considered her a lost cause? Did he love her too?

She wasn't ready to die. There were still so many things for her to figure out, to accomplish. Hermione wanted to repair her friendship with Ron and get to know Pansy. She wanted to talk to Harry, to make sure he was okay. And Ginny… they had both been through so much and with the loss of Anthea, things were strained at best. But she had never expected to leave things in that state. And Hermione wanted to see if she and Draco had a shot at a real relationship.

Hermione tried to keep the hope of being rescued alive, but it was getting more difficult the more time passed. Her mind went through every possible scenario for her abduction and the strange aftertaste in her mouth led her to think Perry had given her a potion against her will. She must have figured out what he was planning. Had he intended to kidnap her all along or was it a punishment for solving the mystery?

The tent flap opened and Perry walked in. He had clearly found a place to wash. His hair had been cut short, droplets running down the back of his neck. The dirt that clung to him had been scrubbed off. His white robes made her uneasy. They were only used for important ceremonies and rituals. He disappeared into one of the bedrooms and returned with a bag slung over his shoulder.

"It is time for you to serve your purpose," Perry said, forcing her to stand.

Her legs were shaky after sitting still for so long and she almost fell to the ground. Perry grabbed a handful of the rope wrapped around her, pulling her up and forcing her out the tent. Biting her lip, her brown eyes darted around trying to figure out where she was. They were in the middle of a forest. The sun had set long ago leaving the forest in almost total darkness. She stumbled on the roots and rocks along the path.

Hermione knew that this would be her only chance to escape. She didn't know where she was, but this forest was large. The chances of escaping were slim. He had a wand and could track her. At least, he wouldn't be able to summon her. But if he thought about it, he would be able to summon the rope wrapped around her or her clothes. She pictured herself running naked in this random forest and she had to clamp her mouth shut not to laugh hysterically. Her desperation was reaching an all-time high. But this was her only chance. Even if she didn't know how she would get rid of the rope or her clothes. Or run fast enough with the rope still wrapped around her.

Her opportunity to escape arrived when the sound of branches cracking broke the silence. It sounded like it was coming from their left. Hermione couldn't help the hope that swelled in her chest that it was Draco coming to save her. She could picture him bursting through the trees, easily subduing the killer, and wrapping her in his arms. Perry lit his wand.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," he said, a trickle of sweat running down his temple.

She nodded and tried to look convincing. It must have worked because he started walking away, his wand stretched out in front of him. Hermione waited until Perry disappeared from view. Every muscle in her body was tensed, ready to run but she forced herself to count to thirty.

The second she did, Hermione turned to the right and started running. It was more difficult than she imagined. She knew that she was making a lot of noise but speed was more important than stealth. The more distance she put between her and Perry the better. But she couldn't figure out how to remove the ropes. Hermione didn't have a knife, nor did the ropes give her any slack. Her heart hammered in her chest. She knew that Perry could summon the rope back at any moment. Her only hope was that someone else was also in the forest.

"Help!" Hermione shouted as loud as she could. "Somebody help me!"

Black spots dotted her vision and she started swaying. It was difficult enough to breathe with the ropes digging into her torso. Running and yelling wasn't helping matters. But if she didn't scream, she was as good as dead. Hermione heard a noise coming from her right. Could it be Draco? Harry? Ron? Had they found her?

Her heart dropped when her body flew to the left and Perry caught her. He was breathing heavily, glaring at her. "You will not ruin this for me. _Petrificus Totalus. Wingardium Leviosa._ "

Hermione was frozen, forced to stare at the starry sky. Fear coursed through her veins. She had tried and failed to escape. It would have been practically impossible to escape under these conditions, but a part of her had hoped that luck would be on her side. Perry seemed to walk for an eternity before stopping. She wished that she could be brave like Harry in the face of her death, but she was terrified. Would it hurt? Would he torture her first?

Perry left her floating and paralyzed. The sound of rustling and bottle clinking echoed in the silent night sky. He was muttering, but his voice was too low for her to hear. The full moon was bright, almost blinding. What was he going to do to her? What did the moon have to do with it?

He released the spells and laughed when she crashed into the ground with a resounding thud. Perry waved his wand and the ropes fell onto the grass. The fall startled her for a moment, but she quickly scrambled up and went to run only to be caught by Perry. The bastard enjoyed this cat and mouse game.

"Let me go! You're never going to get away with this even if you kill me," Hermione sobbed.

He pulled her towards him so that their noses were almost touching. His hand was wrapped around her throat. "You look so good trembling. Fear is a good look on you," he whispered. "There's something sensual about taking a life. Did you know that it's even better than sex?"

Hermione pulled her head away repulsed, but his grip was strong. "I hate you. There is nothing intimate about this."

"Women always say that until the time comes. You'll see."

He dragged her towards the stone slab next to the bubbling cauldron. She fought him every step of the way, pulling her hands away, trying to kick him. Hermione had never imagined this to be her end. She swallowed the tears as she continued trying to break his grasp. Her eyes were wild looking for someone to save her, anyone.

Perry forced her onto the table, smirking as she squirmed. Invisible binds held her arms and legs down on the slab. This was a side of Perry that she had never seen before. He looked serene with a faint smile gracing his thin lips. Hermione thought that she would be calm in the face of death, but any semblance of that faded when he pulled out his knife. It was nothing special, an average hunting knife with a wooden handle. But it looked recently sharpened, its blade reflecting the firelight.

Hermione blinked back tears and tried to block the memories of the last time someone carved into her skin. Perry fingered her scar carefully, tracing the letters. "Your death will serve the greater good. Your life has been given purpose and I thank you for your contribution."

The blade sliced the insides of her wrists and she could feel her blood flowing from the wounds, hot and sticky. Perry watched her giddily, but she turned her eyes to the silver moon. He would not be the last thing she saw or thought about. Her thoughts drifted to Draco. The way his smile lit up his face, the way he touched her, the sound of his drawl. She wished she could tell him that she loved him, but she would have to trust that he knew.

A soft smile tugged at her lips as she imagined him to be right there next to her. Her eyes fluttered closed and all she knew was darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

Draco paced the halls of St. Mungo's. His footsteps echoed down the empty corridor, the only sound to break the infinite silence. When would they update him on Hermione's condition? Each time a healer or medi-witch passed him, he turned to them expectantly only to have them sweep past him. It was frustrating not being able to do anything to help her. To save her.

He should have had an update by now.

Each time he sat down or tried to relax, his mind replayed the scene. Hermione had looked dead. She had been so still on the slab. There had been so much blood. Even now, his clothes were soaked with it. But he wouldn't leave to change. Not while she needed him. He could still remember his relief when he felt her pulse. He had immediately taken her to the hospital, leaving Potter and Weasley to deal with Perry.

He was about break down the bloody door to check on her, when he heard someone running down the corridor.

"Where is she?" Potter asked, panting. "How is she doing?"

"They're working on her right now. They won't let me in the room," Draco said, running his hands through his messy blond hair. He probably looked like a mess right now. He didn't care.

He sighed. "She's fine. She has to be."

"What if we were too late? There was so much blood."

"We weren't too late," Harry said, reaching out to grab his shoulder. "She's going to pull through this. She's the strongest person I know."

Draco nodded and looked away, not wanting anyone to see his tears. "What happened to Perry?"

"We have him in custody. He's not going to get away with this. He's looking at a lifetime in Azkaban."

"It's too bad they don't administer the Dementor's Kiss anymore," he sneered. "Where's Weasley?"

"He's dealing with Perry right now, making sure that nothing goes wrong while we transfer him to Azkaban," Potter said.

They took a seat in the waiting room and waited for news. It seemed like everyone else trickled in and out quickly. What was taking so long? Couldn't they just give her a blood replenishing potion and be done with it? He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself.

"Mr Malfoy? Mr Potter?" a healer said, stepping into the waiting room.

Draco leapt up and rushed to the man in lime-green robes. "Is she okay?"

"It was touch and go for a little while, but Miss Granger managed to pull through. If you had brought her in a minute later, she wouldn't have made it," the healer said. "She's resting right now. She's been through a traumatic event, but I expect her to make a full recovery."

The two wizards followed the healer to Hermione's room. Draco hesitated when he reached the door. After a questioning look from Harry, he pushed the door open. Hermione looked tiny in the bed. It took all his effort not to haul her out of this sterile room and back home where she belonged. Draco took a seat next to the bed, carefully taking her hand in his. It was tiny and softer than he expected. He wanted her eyes to flutter open, but they stayed closed.

He loved her.

"I'm going to check in with Ron to make sure there were no problems," Harry said, giving his shoulder a squeeze before leaving the room.

As soon as the door shut, he turned back to her. "Please don't ever scare me like that again. I thought I lost you," Draco said quietly. "I love you, Hermione Granger. Please come back to me."

He kissed her hand and held it with both hands.

* * *

Hermione woke up in a brightly lit room. Giving her eyes a second to focus, she was surprised to see Draco asleep, his head resting on her bed. He looked exhausted. She ran her fingers through his tousled hair.

"You're awake," he mumbled before sitting up.

"I'm awake. I'm not sure how I'm alive, but I'm eternally grateful," she smiled.

He looked away for a moment. "I thought you were dead when I found you."

Hermione turned her arms and was relieved to see that they were unblemished (the mudblood scar was still present, unfortunately). She thought for sure that she was going to die, could still remember the bite of the blade on her skin. "What happened to Perry?"

"He's in Azkaban while he waits for trial."

She released a breath. "What was he trying to do? He gave me a potion when he captured me and it's all a little fuzzy."

"The bastard was trying to resurrect Morgan Le Fay using a dark ritual. He seems to think that she could heal anything, even bring back the dead," Draco scoffed.

"How would he be able to resurrect her?"

Draco explained the ritual in detail. "Apparently he's convinced that he had her blood, but we'll never know for sure. Potter made sure to destroy the cauldron and the book so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"Destroying evidence is illegal."

"I don't think he cares. The chance of some other maniac killing thirteen people to resurrect someone is too great."

Silence fell between them. It seemed surreal that they had made it through the case in one piece. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she remembered the taste of terror, the feeling of life spilling out of her. This had been her closest brush with death. Hermione never wanted to feel that way again.

"You're safe. I won't ever let anyone hurt you again," Draco said, kissing the inside of her wrist.

She bit her lip. "You can't promise me something like that."

"I just felt so powerless when you were taken. I should have done something to stop it, should have dodged his stunner that day we ran into him-"

"Shhh," Hermione whispered, threading her fingers through his, "We can't change the past. It happened and if we get caught up in it… I want to put this behind me and move on with my life."

"You say that like it's so easy."

"It won't be. If I see another knife in my lifetime, it'll be too soon. I know we haven't talked about it, but I'm hoping that you'll be by my side."

Hermione looked down at her hands. The only thing she wanted to do when she was captured was to tell Draco how she felt. But now that they were here… It was terrifying. The last time they talked about their relationship, they had agreed to hide it. What if he didn't feel the same way?

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

* * *

"Sir, you wanted to see me?" Harry said, knocking on the door.

Hendry looked up from his desk. "Mr Potter, shut the door and take a seat."

He took the offered chair. Harry wasn't sure why the head of the DMLE wanted to see him. Did he know Harry destroyed the potion and the grimoire? It had been a spur of the moment decision, but not one that he regretted. The book had been filled with incredibly dark magic that should have never seen the light of day.

"I wanted to congratulate you on capturing Perry. I admit I had my doubts about handing the case to such a young team," he said. "But you proved yourselves quite capable. Let's hope this is the last time we have to deal with a serial killer."

"Thank you, sir, but I respectfully disagree. I do not believe this is the last we'll see of such evil."

"Fortunately for you, the Minister also agrees. He would like to offer your team the opportunity to investigate complex crimes on a permanent basis."

Harry looked up at him at a loss for words.

"Do close your mouth, Mr Potter. Let me know their decision in a week. I believe a week off is in order, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

Harry recognized the dismissal and stood up. Just as he reached the door, Hendry spoke up. "It's a good thing that book and potion were destroyed. I shudder to think of what would happen if that ended up in the wrong hands."

He was about to answer, but Hendry returned to his paperwork. Harry left the Ministry with a smile on his face. The case had taken its toll on him, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he had made a difference. He just hoped the rest of the team agreed to stay on.

* * *

The moment that Perry had been tossed into his cell and his report was written, Ron returned home. It was too early for Pansy to be awake so he showered before slipping into bed with her. Pansy turned around and squinted at him through tired eyes. "Ron? Is everything okay?"

"We caught him, Pans. We solved the case."

"And Granger?"

He smiled. "We got to her in time. She's recovering at St. Mungo's, but she's going to be okay."

"Thank Merlin," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so proud of you."

Her breath slowed and he knew that she had fallen back asleep. He was too wide awake to attempt to sleep, so he contented himself to hold Pansy. This case had been one of the hardest things he had done, but he was good at it. Working with Harry and Hermione was surprising in many ways. For the first time, he saw how flawed Harry and Hermione were. Maybe it wasn't fair to judge them on the past few months. They had both been going through a lot of personal changes. But it was still surprising. Maybe seeing them more accurately would make the trio stronger friends in the long run. Merlin knew, Ron was no longer jealous of them.

His tiredness finally caught up with him and he closed his eyes, deciding that he had thought deep enough thoughts for the night. The emotional range of a teaspoon, his arse.

* * *

Hermione looked up when someone knocked on the door. She had been in the hospital for a few days now and was looking forward to going home. Her room was full of bouquets from friends and coworkers, wishing her well. Ginny stood in the doorway looking unsure whether or not she would be welcomed in. She waved the girl in and sat up in bed.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" the redhead asked.

"I'm feeling good. I should be released tomorrow," Hermione said.

Ginny stood awkwardly beside the bed. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said. "I'm sorry I was so awful to you since Anthea died. When news broke out that you had been kidnapped, I kept replaying our last conversation… I was being selfish and unfair."

"You have nothing to apologize for. We were both grieving. I also could have handled it better. If Anthea was here, she'd be shaking her head at us."

"She was the glue that kept us together. I miss her," Ginny said sitting down. "There's something that I wanted to talk to you about. The Kenmare Kestrels have offered me a contract and I've decided to accept."

"Gin, are you sure?"

"This is the best thing for me right now. I've been stuck in the past and with Anthea gone… I just need a fresh start."

Hermione smiled. "I think it's a great idea. Ireland is beautiful."

"I'm going to miss you."

"I will too."

Ginny gave her a small smile before walking out of the room. Hermione relaxed in the bed. She was going to bring up the topic of moving out but with Ginny leaving… It was perfect timing. Hermione had lived her life in fear since she was stalked and she refused to continue acting like a victim. She needed to take back control of her life. And that started with living on her own.

It looked like her and Ginny both had some healing to do.

* * *

Hermione adjusted her dress for the millionth time. Pansy had invited the team over for dinner to celebrate solving the case. It would be the first time that she had seen the Slytherin since the article came out. Pansy was known for holding a grudge, but hopefully, she had already forgotten the whole ordeal. The sound of Draco's arrival interrupted her fretting. With a sigh, she grabbed her bag and met him in front of the fireplace.

"You look beautiful," Draco said, pulling her in for a kiss. "We could always miss dinner."

She smiled and pulled away. "As much as I would love to, I think it's time to clear the air with Pansy."

"Your flat looks different without the Weaslette's things."

"Her name is Ginny," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. Trying to get him to abandon his childhood nicknames was a losing battle. "She moved out this morning."

They left through the floo. Draco caught her when she arrived and she smiled. Hermione inspected the living room. It was filled with pictures of the two of them on various holidays and vacations. A Chudley Cannons blanket was neatly folded on the black couch, making her smile. Harry came from the kitchen and pulled her in for a hug. Draco disappeared down the hallway.

"How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "I'm feeling a lot better. They still aren't sure what potion Perry gave me, but there seems to be no lasting damage. Just a touch of amnesia."

"He's refusing to talk. Hendry says that the evidence is overwhelming, so we won't have any trouble convicting him."

"I can't believe the case is really over."

Before Harry answered, Ron walked towards them and gave her a quick hug. "Dinner is ready. What trouble are you two getting into now?"

"Don't look at me, Harry's the troublemaker," Hermione laughed.

"I distinctly remember a few situations where you started it," Harry said as they walked towards the dining room.

Ron leaned towards them. "Pansy's been cooking all day. My mom's been teaching her how to, so please tell her that it's good."

The smell of Parmesan chicken wafted towards her when she entered the dining room making her stomach growl. There was an Italian salad with arugula, roasted peppers, and onions. It looked amazing. But there was not a knife to be seen. Only forks. Hermione felt her heart squeeze at the effort they had all gone through to make her comfortable.

"Draco just told me about your fear of knives. I hope you don't mind that I've taken the liberty of slicing everyone's chicken," Pansy said as they all took a seat at the table.

Hermione sat between her and Draco. "Thank you. It means a lot."

Pansy nodded. The salad bowl was passed around the table while an awkward silence lingered. They dug into the food. It was just as delicious as it smelled. Hermione wasn't sure if it was uncomfortable because she was here. She should have talked to Pansy before dinner. Or visited her before. Maybe sent a letter? Draco put his hand on her thigh and she smiled at the gesture.

"I have an announcement to make," Harry said clearing his throat. "Working this case with all of you has had its challenging moments, but there's no one else that I would rather work with. Each of you has brought your expertise and strengths to this team. If you're interested, Hendry has made us an offer to make this team permanent."

"So we would work exclusively on solving cases dealing with serial killers?" Draco asked.

"We would also be given high profile cases."

Hermione leaned in. "What do we do if there aren't any cases for us to solve?"

"If there's one thing we can count on, it's that there will always be crime," Ron laughed.

"I think you guys should do it," Pansy chimed in. "Granted I've only seen Ron throughout the case, but looking at all of you, you seem more fulfilled and settled since I last saw you."

The group let Pansy's words sink in. The case had demanded a lot from them. They had to learn how to work together as a team and how to catch a serial killer. This had been the first time Hermione had worked an active investigation. They had all been out of their comfort zone, but they had solved it. And now they were a stronger team for it.

"I'm in," Hermione said. "I would miss the field work too much if I went back to my old job."

"I never thought I'd hear the day you'd want to spend less time with books," Ron said.

She glared at him before resting her head on Draco's shoulder. "As long as I don't get kidnapped again. That's an experience I could do without."

"I'm in too. They'll pair me with an insufferable idiot if I return back to the Aurors," Draco said as he tossed an arm around Hermione.

"I guess that means I have no choice but to accept the offer," Ron said.

Hermione looked around the table. She had never planned for this career move, but already she could see how it could benefit her. There was only one last thing to do before she could feel completely comfortable. When everyone was done eating, Hermione helped bring the dishes back to the kitchen. With a flick of Pansy's wand, the dishes started to wash.

"I wanted to apologize," Hermione said the moment the two witches were alone. "I'm ashamed of my past behaviour. I wasn't over Ron and I was angry at you for that. I hope you'll give me a chance to make it up to you."

Pansy breathed a sigh of relief. "It was difficult knowing that you two were working together. I was scared that he was going to go back to you."

"Never. You bring out the best version of Ron. I've never seen him this happy. I'm truly happy for you two."

"When Draco told me that he had feelings for you, I wasn't surprised. You'll be good for each other," Pansy said with a smile.

They weren't going to become best friends overnight, but Hermione hoped that they could at least be friendly. They were going to see a lot of each other now. They joined the men in the living room. Draco wrapped his arm around her when she sat next to him on the couch and she saw Ron do the same to Pansy. She was scared that Harry felt like a fifth wheel but a glance at him showed that he was happy too.

The group was laughing at one of Ron's jokes (Draco pretended not to find it funny, but his twitching lip gave it away) when a Ministry owl pecked at the window. Harry stood up to get it and looked up at them with a smile.

"Looks like our vacation's cut short. The Undersecretary's wife was just found murdered in their home and Hendry wants us to come in," Harry said.

The group quickly stood up, thanked Pansy and scrambled into the fireplace, ready to start their next case.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! I can't believe this story is finally finished. This was my first time writing a crime story. There was a lot of learning involved, but it was fun! Thank you so much to all my wonderful readers. Your encouragement meant the world to me. If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it!
> 
> If you want to know when I post a new story, sign up for author alerts! I'm working on a pretty big Sirius/Hermione story right now but I'm sure my muse won't let me abandon Draco and Hermione for long.
> 
> Thank you again!


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